


Fire and Water: A Zutara Story

by cgreene



Series: Fire and Water: A Zutara Story [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Zutara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 61,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cgreene/pseuds/cgreene
Summary: Following canon (mostly) but breaking away to give Zuko and Katara a better bonding trip than The Southern Raiders. Their relationship develops as they get more shared screen time, leading to what is (hopefully) a better ending. Keeping this mostly in the spirit of the show but am probably pushing a bit harder on the budding romance and going a bit darker in some places.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Fire and Water: A Zutara Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776670
Comments: 71
Kudos: 209





	1. Attack on the Western Air Temples

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Dear Readers! I never thought I’d be back here again, but damn it if Zutara didn’t grab such a powerful hold on my heart. I don’t know how I missed the sheer awesomeness of that show when it first came out, but I’ve already binge watched the whole thing twice since it’s been on Netflix and even though it’s *almost* perfect, I just can’t stop myself from rewriting the last couple episodes to give Zuko and Katara a better ending.  
> This story picks up right after Zuko and Sokka came back from getting Suki and Hakoda out of prison, and it starts the same as the Southern Raiders episode but goes on a different path from there.  
> As always, reviews and feedback greatly appreciated, especially since I’m new to this fandom! I hope you all enjoy!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Sixteen: Attack on the Western Air Temple

* * *

Appa snores peacefully in the early morning light as Aang begins to stir, stretching his arms out wide as he embraces the new day. But, as he stands up and shakes off the last bit of sleepiness, he realizes something is off. His senses sharper and he hears something soaring through the air. He grabs his staff and quickly goes on the defense, and as soon as he sees the firebomb sailing towards him, he redirects it with his air bending and it explodes several yards from where his friends still sleep. 

Everybody’s awake now. 

“What that…” Sokka says, but before he can finish his questions, another bomb hits their hideout and the walls around them begin to shake. The columns crack and ceiling begins to crumble. 

“Watch out!” Zuko screams as he sees stone shards being to fall. He lunges towards Katara, and together they slide several feet away from a massive stone that was pummeling directly towards them.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping rocks from crushing you.”

“Well, the only thing crushing me is you now, so you can get off.”

Zuko carefully pulls himself away from her, and she runs to rejoin the group.

“I guess I’ll take that as a thank you,” he mutters to himself as he follows Katara to the fight.

Aang has shuttered the windows safely, but the fire nation air ships outside continue to blast the building with bombs.

The building shakes terribly and the ground begins to slinter apart.

“Katara!” Aang screams as a growing chasm opens in the ground and begins to swallow her.

As Katara disappears in the dark hole, Zuko dives towards her. He catches his feet on the uneven ground around him and with the first half of his body thrown in the hole, he grabs Katara’s hand in the nick of time.

She stares up at him, eyes filled with fear. He nods at her with assurance, and begins to lift her out.

“Thanks,” she says sincerely. Zuko just bows his head slightly, acknowledging it.

The temple continues to shatter and shake as the outside assault continues. Walls tumble down and the break in the ground grows wider. 

Toph has carved a hole in the wall in the back and is ushering people into it, but Katara and Zuko can’t see away across.

“Katara!” Aang screams again, “I’ll come get you.”

Another blast hits and several more stones crash down.

“No! Just get everyone to safety.” Katara looks around and see a staircase behind her. “We’ll find another way and meet you guys outside.”

Aang doesn’t like it, but they’re all about to but crushed by the building if they don’t move.

“Come on, Aang, there’s no time!” Sokka yells. Aang looks to his other friends, all trying to get Appa in the tunnel, and nods. “They’ll be okay, they can take care of themselves. Now tell this bison of yours to move his big butt.”

Appa growls in protest.

“Come on, Appa,” Aang says gently, “I know you don’t like tunnels, but we’ve got no other choice.”

Appa lets out a deep groan but begins moving forward. Aang takes one last look at Zuko and Katara, both running up a staircase of the far side of the room, and he leads Appa through Toph’s tunnel. 

Zuko leads the way as he and Katara climb the stairs. The blasts seem to have stopped now, and he’s certain Fire Nation solider are now searching for them in the rubble. 

“Watch your head,” he tells Katara as they turn a corner and a massive stone rafter lies before them. 

“I can see that giant rock just as well as you,” she huffs.

“Okay, sorry, I was just…” He mutters, “trying to be helpful.”

“How is pointing out the obvious helpful?” She says as she pushes ahead of him.

“Good point.” He hangs his head and follows her.

Several of the hallways they try are too full of rubble and debris for them to pass, but finally they turn a corner and see a bright patch of light towards the end.

“If there’s that much light, there’s got to be a space we can crawl through!” Katara says and begins running towards it. Zuko smiles slightly and follows.

When they get to the end of the hall, they see a wide and open window, and there are a few roof rafters collapsed in front of it, but there is plenty of space for the pair to climb through.

Zuko easily hops up and surveys the surroundings from the ledge. There’s another story above them in the temple hanging from the underside of the massive mountain the Western Air Temples are situated under. The next ledge is too high up for him to reach or climb up to, but he can easily jump down to the ledge below him. Katara is climbing up next to him. 

“I’m going to jump down and see how stable it is. If it seems secure, we can hopefully find a way back inside to a portion of the building that isn’t damaged.”

Katara throws her legs over the ledge like she’s about to follow him.

“What are you doing?” Zuko asks.

“You just said we should go look for a way into another part of the building.”

“I said I’m going to check how stable it is. What if the structure is too damaged to support me? Do you want us both tumbling to our deaths?”

Zuko says this so matter-of-factly, Katara is taken aback. _Is Zuko really that willing to put himself in mortal danger?_

“Just let me check it out first. And then you can follow.”

Katara is still processing his behavior as she watches him deftly jump down and explore the surrounding ledge. Zuko carefully explores the rooftop, occasionally jumping and testing its support. After turning around a few corners, he comes back to Katara and asks her to follow him. 

“I don’t think we’ll be able to jump across to the other structure, but I found another window on the other side, and it looks like the passages there are undamaged. We should be able to take them to get back inside the main compound, and hopefully meet up with the others on the other side.”

Katara follows Zuko and they quickly make it through the passages of the inner air temple compound and find an exit to the mountainside above them. They figure that’s the best area to survey the Fire Nation’s position and hopefully find sight of their friends.

Zuko is the first to exit the structure, and when the coast looks clear, he waves Katara to join him. But as soon as they step out on the cliff ledge, several large Fire Nation air ships rise to meet them, and his sister Azula is standing at their helm, her yellow eyes narrowed on him like a hawk on its prey.

“Azula,” he huffs, “I should have—” but before he can finish, a set of earthen chains slam around him, binding his mouth, arms, and feet. He senses Katara be bound behind him too and hears her fall to the ground. A set of Dai Li agents from the earth kingdom walk up from behind Azula, and carry the captured pair onto the war ships.

* * *

When Katara comes to, she’s bound in a prison cell inside the air ship. As she looks around at her surroundings, she hears Zuko’s voice in the hallway amidst the heavy footfalls of guards and rattling chains.

“That’s everything I know about the Avatar.”

“Well, I suppose that’s not nothing,” Azula says, her voice crisp and cruel. “If it helps us actually capture the Avatar, maybe father will be generous when I turn you over to him.”

Katara’s eyes fill with rage and tears and she processes Zuko’s betrayal, yet again. She knew she never should have trusted him.

“I must admit I so enjoy father’s particular brand of punishment.” She laughs cruelly and Zuko says nothing as they lead him to the end of the hall. “I can’t wait to see what he has in store for you this time!”

Hours later, Katara is still writhing in her cell, trying to think of a way out of her chains and how she’ll get back at Zuko for betraying her again. She’s made little progress when someone finally comes to her cell, and Katara is surprised and angry when Zuko slips in her cell.

He quickly and quietly begins to loosen her binds, and when he pulls the gag from her mouth, she almost bites him. 

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you! How dare—” Zuko quickly stuffs the gag back down her throat, and she throws her feet into him, but he’s able to jump to the side, just missing her thrust. 

Once Zuko realizes Katara thinks he’s an enemy again, he holds up his hands and sinks to his knees, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. But her eyes still boil over with rage. 

“Katara, please, I’m still your friend…”

Her eyes lose none of their anger or sharpness, and muffled curses gargle from behind her gag.

Zuko lowers his eyes and stares at the ground, and realizes friend was too strong a world.

“Please, I’m still on your side and I need you to trust me. We only have a few minutes before the guards realized I’ve escaped, and we need to get out of her before they do.”

She stops struggling, but her look still cuts him. 

“I’m going to loosen your binds now, and it’s really important you don’t scream.”

She nods but just barely. 

Zuko softly removes the gag and begins untying her.

“How am I supposed to trust you and believe you didn’t turn on Aang?”

“Katara, please, I asked you to be quiet.”

“No, you told me not to scream. I’m not screaming.” Even though she is whispering, it still feels like she’s yelling. Once he’s completely freed her, she stares at him in the face.

“I didn’t turn on Aang,” his voice low, humble and his eyes are still downcast. 

“Look me in the eye so I can see if you’re lying to me.”

Zuko slowly raises his eyes. Katara has a hard time looking into them, especially the scarred one, and even though she’s full of rage, she still pities him, on some level.

“Oh, I heard you passing in the hall, you told them everything.”

“And what did you hear me tell them?” His voice raises slightly, and even though he knows he shouldn’t, he’s beginning to lose patience.

Katara opens her mouth, but realizes she doesn’t actually know what he said to them.

“Look, Katara, I cooperated, I pretended to cooperate, so they wouldn’t interrogate you.” 

Katara is still annoyed with, and mistrustful, by his duplicitous ways. “So? I would never have told them anything!”

“Yes, you would have.” He says with a grim and solemn face, “You don’t know what they can do.”

She wants to protest, but sees a severity in him, his eyes, and especially his scar. It occurs to her for the first time that she doesn’t know how he got it.

Not knowing how to respond, she changes the subject. “Fine. So how are we getting out of here?”

He smiles, just slightly, and peers out the cell. Once he knows the coast is clear, he motions for her to follow, and they slip quietly down the hall. They stop at one door, and he motions to her to wait. Zuko is all but silent, and he returns only moments later with a large pack and a bundle of their personal effects that the guards took from them. Without a word, Zuko motions for Katara to follow him again, until they stop at a hatch at the end of an empty hall.

“Alright, Katara, before we do this, I just need to ask…” He pauses awkwardly, and Katara’s eyes narrow, as he struggles to find the words. “How lady-like are you?”

“How lady-like am I?” Her voice is sharp and splitting.

Zuko begins to sputter. “I mean, I guess, do you have delicate tendencies?”

“Delicate tendencies?”

“Why do you keep repeating me?” He groans, not sure if he’s more frustrated with himself or her. “I just need to know if you’re going to freak out about getting a little dirty.”

“What?”

Zuko reaches down and opens the hatch on floor. A wave of noxious smelling fume wave over them.

She pinches her nose and jumps back. “Please tell me that is mostly food waste.”

“Well,” Zuko begins, “depending on how you think about it…”

“There is no need to finish that sentence,” she says definitively. “So that’s how we’re getting out of here?” 

Zuko nods.

“Well okay then,” Katara concedes, though she doesn’t look happy about it, she’s willing to do what it takes. 

“Do we have to hide in there now? Or can we wait til we’re closer to landing?”

“We’re not waiting til we land,” Zuko says as he pulls what appears to be a large blanket out of his bag. 

“What? We must be hundreds of feet up in the air!”

“A thousand at least,” Zuko says nonchalantly.

“We’re not airbenders, Zuko, we can’t fly!”

“Technically, airbenders can’t fly either. They just manipulate the air around them and uses tools to keep themselves in the sky.”

Katara has to stop herself from rolling her eyes. “Well, really, Zuko, we can’t do any of that either.”

“Yes, we can,” he says with a slight smile ands hold up the blanket he’d been folding, which he’s fashioned into a parachute.

“This is a spare sail from the ship, and we can make it work like an air balloon.”

“Zuko,” Katara says with an uneasy voice, “I do not think this is a good idea.”

“Yes, it is! I’ve thought this through.” He realizes his response came out harsher than he meant it to can takes a breath to calm himself. “Look, Katara, if we leave now, while we’re still sailing, they’ll have no way of knowing where we’ll land. They’ll have to search hundreds of miles, maybe even more. It’s our best chance at evading them and getting back to Aang unnoticed.”

Katara doesn’t like it, but takes what he’s said seriously, and he’s made a really valid point. “Okay.”

“Okay,” looking into her eyes with a soft smile. “This is the release door. It opens with that lever over there. We’re going to open it and let most of this fall through, and then jump out after it.”

“Right,” Katara says, weakly.

“That way, none of it falls on top of us or damages the parachute.”

“Okay,” she says still unsure about it, but she tries to give him a reassuring look. “You really seem to have thought this through.”

“Umm, yeah. I’m trying to do that more now.”

He finishes twisting and tying the ropes of his parachute around him, and he motions for her to come close to him. She does. He takes a couple ends of the ropes and twists them around her, binding her to him.

“You ready?”

After a moment she just nods and says, “You should know, Zuko, I really don’t like flying.”

“Well, don’t think of it as flying then, think of it more like controlled falling.”

She gulps loudly. “That doesn’t make me feel any better about this.”

“Uh, sorry,” he says, hanging his head slightly. “Just hold onto me, really tightly.”

“Cuz I’ll die if I don’t?”

“I promise, I won’t let you go.” She looks up into his eyes and feels strangely comforted and secure in his arms, and she presses herself close to him.

“You ready?” he asks again, and she just nods into his shoulder, eyes tightly shut.

Zuko can feel her fear and tries to hold her a little tighter, make her feel a bit more secure.

He then grabs the lever on the wall next to him, and the bottom of the garbage chute opens, dumping all the contents into the night sky. When it seems to have mostly cleared, he looks down at Katara, who’s still scrunched up into him, and jumps.


	2. Crash Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Zuko and Katara escape, they make plans to find Aang and see if they can repair their relationship.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Seventeen: Crash Landing

* * *

Katara's scream is at first ear-splitting, and even though Zuko doesn't loosen his grip, he wishes for a second he could cover his ears. However, the noise is drowned out by the howling wind that surrounds them. But as their parachute fills with air and their fall fades from a sharp drop to more gradual decline, Zuko feels Katara's hold soften just slightly, and for the first time she opens her eyes and looks around. The sky is dark but full of stars, and they all kind of swirl around her in beautiful lines of light as she and Zuko sail down. The air is rushing past them too loudly to speak, but when their eyes finally meet, both have big smiles on their faces.

As they approach the ground, they're going a bit fast than Zuko would like, and he can't maneuver as easily as he'd like with Katara and the supplies strapped to him, but he's able to steer towards some large trees. The parachute catches in the tall, heavy branches and helps lessen the impact when they reach the ground, but it's still rougher than Zuko anticipated.

The pair is snapped roughly in a new direction when the tree branch snags them, and Zuko immediately uses his firebending skills to burn the rope connecting them to the parachute and they fall hard several feet on the ground.

Katara groans and tires to extricate herself but realizes she's still tied tightly to Zuko.

"Just give me a second," he says as he realizes what she's doing. It takes him a moment to gather himself after the rough impact, and he fumbles as he tires to untie the knots. Katara lies uncomfortably beneath him. All his weight was on top of her and there's no way for him to shift it. She doesn't say anything, but he knows he needs to get off of her and quick.

"Sorry," he mutters, unable to loosen any of the knots.

"It's okay, Zuko."

He doesn't feel like it is, though, and curses himself, getting increasingly frustrated. He finally decides to use his fire and burn through them. He didn't want to, since he was so closely pressed to her, but he focuses intently and creates a small flame in each hand, and begins to burn through the knots.

"Are you okay?" He asks, as he rolls off of her and pulls off the broken loops of rope around each of them.

"Yeah," she says as she pulls herself up and dusts herself off. "That was…well, it worked."

"Yeah," he echoes softly.

Katara realizes that, for a guy who just pulled off a rather stunning escape, he seems really down on himself. She's not sure why she feels the need to encourage him, or lift his spirits, but she does. "That was a good plan, Zuko, really. Smart thinking."

"Uh, yeah. I got the idea from your brother, actually. It was one of his ideas when we were escaping Boiling Rock. I mean, it wouldn't have worked to escape there, because we just would have crashed into a lake of boiling water, but, uh, using an old airship sail as a parachute, Sokka thought of that first."

Katara just looks down at him, still sitting on the ground and unraveling all the packs and supplies he'd tied so tightly to him, trying to figure the man who'd for so long been her enemy out.

"Still, good job, Zuko."

He sputters something intelligible, like he's trying to say two separate words at once, but doesn't get anywhere.

"Just say 'thank you', Zuko."

He finally takes a deep breath and looks up at her. "Thanks."

Katara's eyes meet his, and she almost wants to smile, but stops herself.

"Look, Zuko, I think you should know…back in the ship, when I heard you talking to Azula and the guards, when I thought you'd betrayed me and Aang and everyone again, I just, it took me back to the caves in Ba Sing Se, and it was so easy for me to believe you'd double crossed us….again."

Zuko drops his eyes to the ground.

"I believe you're on our side now, I do, but, I'm also preparing myself to learn this is all some long con or something, for when you reveal you've been playing me again."

"I'm not." He says with a defeated tone.

"I want to believe that, I do, but, you have to understand…"

Katara sees Zuko, his head hung in what she can only assume is shame. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel for the guy, but if experience had taught her anything, she knew that wasn't the same as trust.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, trust takes time, okay? I need you to know that."

Zuko rises to his feet and stands across from here, almost ceremoniously. "I completely understand, Katara," he says, balling his fist by his palm and inclining in head. "And I'll respect whatever boundaries you put in place."

His behavior astonishes Katara, and she's not sure what she was expecting from him, but it certainly wasn't this. Uncertain what to say, she places her fist by her open palm bows back to him.

"So, what should we do now?" She looks at the forest around them. It looks like it could stretch for miles.

"We need to find a safe place where we can sleep."

Katara, completely exhilarated by the fall and escape, isn't even remotely tired, but as she looks at her companion, it suddenly occurs to her that she doesn't have any idea what he'd been through that day, what he'd had to do to escape. She notices dark shadows under his eyes, and while she's pretty certain they're almost always there, she there's no ignoring the exhaustion on him.

"Okay," she agrees.

"Do you know if there's water nearby?" he asks as he picks up the pack of supplies he'd taken from the ship and slings it over his back.

"How would I know that? I don't know where we are."

"I don't know, I just thought since you're a waterbender that you could sense water."

"Why? Can you sense fire?"

"Um, no, I can just make fire myself, so I don't really need to do that. But since you guys can't do that, I just maybe thought…" his voice trailed to mumbles as he scratched his head. "Sorry."

Katara is beginning to realize just how often Zuko says sorry, and stops herself from arguing more. "That actually makes sense, I guess I've just never tired it before. I've never really needed to." She stops and outstretches her arms, holding her fingers wide and open. Eyes closed and chin lifted, she turns ever so slightly to the right. She rises her hands slowly and opens her eyes.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to guess, I'd go to the right."

Zuko nods and without question begins heading in that direction.

It's only a few minutes before they hear the distant tinkling sound of water and in about half an hour, they've reached a small but strongly flowing creek cutting through the forest's floor.

"Alright, Zuko, here's your water," Katara says as they approach.

"The water's not for me." He says plainly.

"What? Why'd you want to camp by water then?"

"I don't know. I just assumed you'd be more comfortable here."

Katara is so surprised, she's speechless.

"And anyway, it's good to have water nearby."

"Yeah. Smart thinking." She says, smiling at him.

It's too dark, but Zuko blushes ever so slightly.

"I wasn't able to find any camping gear or anything on the ship, but I did get this," he said, pulling her water pouch out and tossing it to her.

Katara's face lights up. "Thanks! This is great." She walks over to the creek and bends some fresh water into it.

"I also grabbed us some food, if you're hungry."

She returns from the creek and sits across from him. He tosses her a hard chunk of bread.

"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" She says between bites.

Zuko is serious. "Well, I know I can't afford to make any more mistakes, or missteps, so, I just wanted to make sure, I got everything right."

Katara hears the harsh words she said to him the other night come back to her. I'll make sure your destiny ends right then and there, permanently.

She sighs deeply, and looks over at him as he nearly arranges his supply sack and swords, thinking about how certain she was earlier in the day that he'd betrayed her again, that she'd never let him do it again, and now all that certainty is gone. She's not certain about anything really, if she can care about him, trust him, that she'll never have to doubt that he hasn't turned on her again…

And since she doesn't know what else to say, she just says, "Good night, Zuko."

He looks at her and bows his head slightly. "Night, Katara."

When Katara wakes up, she find Zuko has already risen. He's practicing his firebending movements in the early morning light by the creek. Katara also notices he's made a small fire and is cooking something.

"Morning," she says, stretching a bit as she walked over to him.

Zuko finishes his final rotation, and looks up. "Morning, Katara. I made some food, if you're hungry."

Katara looks at the meat roasting on the little fire he's created.

"It's all for you," he says, bending down towards the water and splashing his face after his exercises, "I've already eaten."

"Wow, thanks!" Katara isn't used to this. Aang and Sokka almost never cook for her.

Zuko shakes the water through his hair. "Don't mention it."

"So, I guess we need to come up with a plan to get back to Aang?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Katara chews her food silently and waits to hear Zuko's plan. But he's silent for a few minutes. "Don't you have a plan?"

"No. Should I?"

"I mean, you're kind of the expert on tracking down Aang."

Zuko chuckles softly. "Fair point." He scratches his head and thinks for a minute.

"Well, I'm sure your friends have searched the air temples by now, and know we're missing. So, I'm sure they've figured out we're captured. So, uh, Aang is probably headed towards the Fire Nation prison Sokka and I just escaped from to look for you."

"Oh, no way! Aang knows he can't risk getting himself captured by the Fire Nation!"

"I don't think Aang is taking that into consideration right now."

"Of course he is!"

"No, Katara, he's going to stop everything and focus on finding you."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because, Katara, he likes you."

"What?"

Zuko is a bit taken aback by her resistance. He'd assumed their feelings were mutual.

"Zuko, that's…No. He's twelve."

Now Zuko gets it. "Yeah," he chuckles, "that's about when it starts."

"What starts?"

"Um," Zuko shifts uncomfortably, "you know, stuff."

"Oh, what do you know?!"

"I mean, I'm a guy. I was once twelve-"

Katara just narrows her eyes at him. "He doesn't like me like that."

"Okay, well, even if I'm wrong, and I'm totally willing to be wrong, okay, Aang is a good friend. He's coming to rescue you."

Katara sits down and sighs heavily. "So, what should we do then? Do we get ourselves captured by the Fire Nation?"

The smile flickers on Zuko's face, but Katara misses it. This is not an option he likes, but he doesn't say it. "Yeah, I guess we could do that."

Katara hears something catch in his voice. "That wouldn't be good for you, wouldn't it?"

"No, probably not."

"Okay, so we should, what? Walk towards the prison, and hope we see Appa?"

"In my experience, just keeping my eyes open for Appa was pretty effective."

Katara smiles. "Okay, so which way is the prison?"

Zuko looks around, studying the mountains in the distance for a moment. "This way," he points to the left.

"Alright," Katara says, picking up her few belongings and bending water to put out their fire. "Let's go."


	3. Wanted: Dead of Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I have recently updated this chapter, so please jump ahead to chapter 4 if you're new here, it starts off the same as this one, but has a new ending. Thanks!
> 
> Hello All! Thank you so much for reading. I just want to let you all know that I'm committed to keeping this story pretty much in the tone of the TV show (meaning mostly kid friendly while dealing with some adult themes), but this chapter gets a bit darker. There's some catcalling in his chapter, some uncomfortable/ unwanted attention from men, and a bit more blood from sword fight. I'd probably rate this chapter PG 13, but I don't think it's anything too bad. Let me know what you think! Comments are always appreciated. 

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Eighteen: Wanted Dead or Alive

* * *

Zuko and Katara walk throughout most of the day. The forest is unchanging and, if it weren't for the changing position of the sun, Katara would have thought they were going in circles. But no matter how much ground they cover, it doesn't seem to be getting them anywhere.

"Any idea just how far this prison is?"

Zuko wishes he could say something, but he honestly has no idea. He can't gauge the distance from the ground. "No, sorry."

"That's okay. Should we stop for a break?"

The sun is high in the sky now, and the day is getting hot. Both have a find mist of sweat on them, and Katara pulls out some water from her pouch for both to drink.

"Thanks," Zuko says.

"You got any more food in there?" She asks, looking at his sack.

"Yeah," he pulls out a bar of hardened grains. He breaks it in half and tosses part to her. It doesn't taste good, but it is nutritious and will last.

"How many of these bars did you grab?"

"There's just a couple more," Zuko admits.

Katara nods, understanding the need to ration supplies. "Okay," she says, eating her piece very carefully. She knows this might be the only thing they get to eat today.

After each finishes and has another drink, they begin their trek again. The sun is halfway down the afternoon sky when they see a post to a small town.

"The Village of Mura," Zuko reads. "It doesn't look to far from here."

"So?" Katara wipes the sweat from her brow. "What are we going to do at a village? We don't have any—"

But before she can finish, Zuko pulls a small sack of coins from his bag and tosses it to her.

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?" She's truly impressed.

Zuko lets out a rare, genuine smile.

The pair's high spirits are short-lived, however, because when they approach the town, they see two large wanted posters on the wall bearing their likeness.

Katara freezes in place and reaches out to Zuko.

Each poster reads "By decree of Fire Lord Ozai, the banished Prince Zuko and treacherous Waterbender of the Southern Tribe, are wanted, Dead or Alive. Substantial reward."

"Dead or alive," Katara mumbles, "but he's your father…"

"Yes, that's my father," Zuko says through gritted teeth. He's upset, but not unsurprised. "Here," he says, taking off his cloak and throwing it over Katara, "you can't be seen in water tribe clothes. We need to get you new ones. And you should probably take out your braid."

Katara beings undoing it. "But what about you, Zuko?" Her voice is full of concern. "Your scar…"

Luckily, the portrait used in the poster shows Zuko with his royal topknot and partially shaved head. He shakes his hair in front of his eyes, hiding it as best he can. "I'll be alright," he tells her.

He's more worried about Katara. In this area of the world, more people have scars than blue eyes.

"Here," he tells her, putting one pouch of money in her hands. "We'll be more suspicious if we're seen together. You go find new clothes and food, and I'll get us some camping materials. We won't want to stay here. Okay?"

Concern is still written all over her face.

"Katara?"

She shakes her worry off and looks at him. There's immense pity in her eyes; she can't believe a father would do this to his son, but she knows they need to focus and get out of the town as quickly as they can.

"Yeah, right. And let's agree, neither of us should bend, even tonight at camp. We can't risk being seen, not when there's this high reward."

Zuko agrees, and they split up.

Zuko makes quick work of gathering supplies. He gets two blankets, a small pot for cooking, two little bowls, and another satchel to carry the supplies. He figures if he carries the heavier stuff, and Katara their food in the smaller bag, they should be fine. He doesn't linger at any of the stalls he shops in, and quickly returns to the town center to meet Katara.

Katara takes her time, however, haggling over the fruit and meat prices, making sure she gets a good deal. She also meets a friendly dresser, and after examining several garments, she tries on a long black skirt and deep red sash that ties over it, draping down in the front. She puts on a black, sleeveless band around her top, ties an open front shirt over it to provide a bit more coverage.

"You look lovely, dear," the kindly dressmaker tells Katara as she examines herself in the mirror. Katara smiles, she can't disagree. She actually really likes the Fire Nation clothing, it's so much less restrictive than the layers and layers she has to wear in the South Pole.

"You said it was eight copper pieces?" She asks sweetly.

"I said it was ten," the old woman says, her voice dropping. But she quickly brightens, "but since it suits you so well, I'll give it to you for nine."

Katara leaves the dress stall with her goods in hand and makes her way to the town center where she'd agreed to meet Zuko. She smiles to herself, pleased with the deals she'd made that day.

Zuko stands in the corner, half hidden in the shade and keeping his head down.

"What on earth is taking her so long?" he mumbles to himself, tracing lines in the dirt with his shoe, then getting frustrated and kicking it.

"Woah, check out the fresh meat!" A group of young men chuckle as they pass him.

"What I wouldn't give to take a bite out of that," another says with a low whistle.

They laugh some more, and Zuko, huffs, annoyed.

"Is she new to town?"

It's only then that Zuko lifts his gaze. He sees Katara entering the town square. She's stopped to toss a ball back to a group of young children.

"Thanks, nice lady!" a little kid peeps.

Katara's smile only brightens, "you're welcome!"

Everyone seems to be noticing her. She's waving now to the kid's parents, who sweetly thank her. And the group of young guys haven't stopped commenting or ogling. They start to walk towards her, but Zuko darts quickly in front of them and up to Katara.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He takes her by the arm and leads her out of the square.

"Hey," Katara says, surprised. "What's up with you?"

"I just don't trust these people."

Katara can't believe him. "Everyone's been nice to me."

Zuko just sighs heavily and leads her down a quiet side street.

"Were you nice to them, Zuko? Or were you just huffy and gloomy to them?"

"What? I'm not huffy or gloomy."

Katara just raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes, I was nice. That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

Zuko just sighs again and shakes his head. "Did you get everything?"

"Almost," Katara confesses, turning to look at him. "They were out of dried meat, but I placed an order and can pick up a pound first thing in the morning."

"Do we really need dried meat?"

"It doesn't go bad," Katara explains, "and I already paid for it."

Zuko curses under his breath.

"What?" She gives him a pointed look.

He just shakes his head and looks back at the town square, noticing more wanted posters on the wall.

"I want to come with you tomorrow to get it, and then we're out of this town, okay?"

"I thought it was better if we weren't seen together?"

"I changed my mind. We stick together and we get out of here as soon as we can." His eyes go to another set of wanted posters on the wall. Katara follows them and sighs. But Zuko then looks back to the town square, eyes burning.

Zuko and Katara walk back to the forest outside of the little town, and they find an open space to make camp. Katara proudly regales Zuko with the tales of her masterful bargaining, and he smiles, mostly because she seems so happy with herself.

"And then he I got him to give me eight apples, two bags of rice, and some dried herbs."

"That's good."

"And then I got the dressmaker to give me a deal on these clothes. She wanted ten pieces for it, but I got it for nine."

Katara beams. "What do you think? Do I look like a proper Fire Nation lady?"

Zuko has to admit, she does look very nice. _Too nice,_ he thinks to himself, remembering the comments he heard before, but he keeps those thoughts to himself.

"Zuko?"

He shakes his head and collects his thoughts. "Yeah, you look nice," he says, before he returns to his work trying to make a fire without bending. It's not going well for him.

Her smile flickers, she can tell something is bothering him, and she takes in his sour mood.

"Have you ever tried being nice to people, Zuko?"

Zuko's anger flares. "I'm nice to people! How am I not nice to people?"

"You're grumpy."

"Look at what I'm doing right now. I'm making camp! Isn't that nice?" He huffs, gesturing to the fire he'd been trying to start for the past thirty minutes.

"You can be angry too."

"So?"

"All I'm saying is, I had a good time talking to those people, I got everything we needed, and for good prices too. Maybe you would have had a better time if you-"

They begin talking over one another.

"Why isn't this working?! Normal people do it all the time, it's got to be possible," Zuko yells at the wood he was working on, like it had just personally insulted him.

"—had a better attitude."

"I don't think a positive attitude is going to help me get this fire lit," Zuko says, throwing the kindling down and getting up. "And I don't think it's what got you all those good deals today."

He looks over at Katara. Her face is a mixture of confusion and hurt. Zuko softens. "Sorry, I just think you may be overestimating the value of niceness sometimes. I'm going to go and try to find better kindling."

"Okay," Katara says, watching her awkward partner get up. Her other friends never made conversation this hard. _Well, maybe Toph…_ she thinks to herself as she pulls supplies out of her bag. As she does, she gasps. "What the…."

She realizes that the food merchant cheated her. She only has four apples and one bag of rice. She dumps it upside down. "I can't believe this! We made a deal!"

Katara gets up and looks around. She studies the sky, the sun is still hovering above the horizon. _I bet she's still open,_ she thinks to herself, _if I hurry, I can probably be back before Zuko._

And with that, she starts jogging back into town.

"Hello, hi, um, excuse me," she says when she's back at the food merchant's stand. "Hi, do you remember me? I was here earlier today…"

The merchant, and thick bodied woman with grey streaked hair piled high on her head, stares at Katara blankly.

"Right, well, I was here earlier today, and I gave you a silver piece for eight apples, two bags of—"

"I've never seen you before."

"Oh, maybe you don't recognize me, I was wearing a dark cloak earlier, but we negotiated for eight apples, two bags of rice, and you even threw in a bag of herbs for one silver piece, and there must be some mistake, because I only got four apples-"

"I've no idea what you're talking about," she says, sucking on her lip.

Katara suddenly realizes what was going on and narrowed her eyes at her. But she continues in her nicest, most polite voice.

"Look, ma'am, I paid you one silver piece for eight apples, two bags of rice, and a sack of herbs, and you only gave me four apples-"

"I can get you two apples and a bag of rice for a half silver."

"What!?" Katara's eyebrows shoot up in anger. That's a worse deal than she got earlier. "I already paid you for the goods, goods which you owe me. And I'm not leaving till I get—"

But the shopkeeper just slams her shutters down in Katara's face.

Katara huffs, indignant, "the nerve of that lady."

She stares menacingly at the shut window for a few minutes, considering her options, but realizes the sun is sinking lower in the sky and the shadows are growing long. A night wind breeze blows through, carrying with it a bit of a chill. Katara thinks of everything she could get away with if she could use her waterbending skills, but has her hands stretched, wanting to call forth a move, she notices one of the wanted posters out of the corner of her eye. She remembers that she won't get away with using waterbending at all here and decides to go back to her and Zuko's camp.

She's wondering how she'll bring this up to Zuko, not wanting him to rub it in her face, when she hears someone call out. "Hey, hey, lady!"

She stops and looks around. A boy, maybe her age or a bit younger, comes running out.

"I remember you, from earlier, and you did give old Tam a silver piece. He holds out a neatly wrapped parcel. "It's another bag or rice and four apples, plus, I put two pouches of dried herbs in it for you." He beams at her.

Katara is speechless for a moment, she's so grateful for his kindness. "Thank you, so much!"

"She tries to shortchange everybody," the kid says with a shrug.

With renewed confidence, happy that her belief in trusting the good in people shone through, Katara headed back to her camp. _Wait until I tell Zuko_ , she thinks again, now proud her insistence on kindness has paid off.

"Hey, where you going?" another voice calls to her. Katara looks around her and sees three young men approaching her from behind. The sun is beginning to set now, and their shadows are growing long.

"It's not safe to walk alone at night," the second man tells her. "Why don't you let us walk you home." The third young man laughs repeatedly at this.

Katara immediately feels uncomfortable. "No, thank you."

The group of men catch up to her. "It wouldn't be very nice of us is we let a nice young lady like you walk alone in the streets at night," the first says. Katara notices he's the biggest of the three.

"Here, let me carry that for you," the second says, reaching for her bag. Katara instinctively clutches it tighter to her body and smacks his hand away.

"Owww, hey, that's not very nice," the second says in mock pain.

The third laughs again, and it's creepy.

Katara turns to face all three, who are closing in on her. She backs up a bit and hits a wall.

"Since I'm such a nice guy, I'll let you make it up to me," he says, "you just give me a little kiss, and we'll call it even."

"What? No!" Katara immediately begins looking around for a source of water to fight them, but she sees the wanted poster and remembers her deal with Zuko.

Water or not, she's prepared to fight them if she has to, and she's thinking of a plan of attack when she hears another voice.

"Hey, leave her alone." Zuko is standing a few yards from them. All three look over at him.

"We're not talking to you," the first says to Zuko.

"Well, you are now."

A grin breaks out across the biggest one's face. "I don't think you want any trouble." He pulls out a small sword.

"I kind of think I do," Zuko responds, unsheathing his dual sword. He holds it together for a second and then takes it a part, a blade in each hand.

The third friend laughs strangely again, seemingly excited by this.

"There are three of us, buddy." They move closer to him.

Zuko just smiles, undaunted. He can tell from the way they hold their weapons they're untrained.

All three move towards him at once, but the third stops when he sees Zuko skillfully spin his swords. He crooks his head and watches as Zuko knocks the sword out of the second one's hands easily enough, and then crosses blades with the first.

Katara stares on, wide eyed, wanting to help, but not sure how. She's still got her parcel held tightly to her chest.

Zuko is making good work of them, dodging and darting blows from the two men until the third rushes him from behind, swinging a big club. Zuko notices him a second too late, and the bat crashes hard against Zuko's ribs, causing him to drop to his knees. He then takes another swing and hits Zuko's head.

Zuko drops his swords this time, falling forward and breaking his fall with his hands. The other two men gleefully kicks the swords away from him, and the third continues to get kicks in.

Zuko takes a deep breath and gathers his strength. He looks up, and his eyes meet Katara's. She's unfastening her waterskin. Zuko shakes his head fervently no, and stares at the wanted posters hanging near. Katara's eyes follow his, and she bites her lip, unsure of what to do.

While down, Zuko grabs and handful of sand, and when one of the thugs comes close to him, he tosses it in the man's eye. He drops his sword and screams, throwing his hands to his face.

Zuko moves in one fluid flash. He grabs a fallen weapon and goes after the other two. He's no longer trying to disarm them, but bring them down.

The largest of the three tries to get near Zuko, but after a couple bad attempts, Zuko slices the weapon from his hand, taking a good bit of skin with it. The man drops the blade and screams.

The third and final fighter dancers around Zuko for a bit, trying to get a good kick in, but when his two friends admit defeat, he just drops his weapon and laughs.

"Come on, man, this ain't worth it."

"Look what he did to my hand!" the one sobs, as his friends lead him away.

"All for some stupid bitch," Katara hears one say as they leave. But she rushes towards Zuko.

He shakily goes to collect his two dual swords and struggles to sheath them.

"Oh my god," she grabs his face and surveys the damage.

He's got a big scrape on the side of his face, and it's bleeding. Zuko wipes it with his sleeve again, but it does little to stop the bleeding. He's also got a busted lip and a bit of blood is seeping through his shirt.

Katara puts her hands to his face, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm okay," Zuko says, "Let's just get out of here."

She puts her arm under his, trying to support as much of his weight as possible and leads him away.


	4. Wanted: Dead of Alive  (Updated Version)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Updated Version! 
> 
> As Zuko and Katara try to make their way back to Aang, they learn the stakes are higher than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't really happy with this chapter and how it ended. I needed to set up a few elements I hope to pay off in the next few chapters, but thought it was a little too damsel-in-distress cliche. After a few days of not being able to come up with anything better, I finally just wrote it and posted it so I could start taking the story where I wanted it to go. But wouldn't you know it, as soon as I did, I came up with an ending I liked way better.
> 
> I've put two lines to indicate where the story changes, for those of you who want to read the new ending. Please be advised that there is still some stronger content here, a bloody sword fight, some catcalling, and unwanted sexual attention/ suggestions, but I still don't think it's too bad. I've tried to keep everything pretty subtle and would probably still rate this chapter PG 13. As always, feedback is always appreciated! Especially if you have any thoughts or comments about how I've changed this part of the story.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Eighteen: Wanted Dead or Alive (New Version!)

* * *

Zuko and Katara walk throughout most of the day. The forest is unchanging and, if it weren't for the changing position of the sun, Katara would have thought they were going in circles. But no matter how much ground they cover, it doesn't seem to be getting them anywhere.

They take turns surveying the sky for Appa, keeping their eyes open for any sign of his shedding. So far, nothing.

"Any idea just how far this prison is?"

Zuko wishes he could say something, but he honestly has no idea. He can't gauge the distance from the ground. "No, sorry."

"That's okay. Should we stop for a break?"

The sun is high in the sky now, and the day is getting hot. Both have a find mist of sweat on them, and Katara pulls out some water from her pouch for both to drink.

"Thanks," Zuko says.

"You got any more food in there?" She asks, looking at his sack.

"Yeah," he pulls out a bar of hardened grains. He breaks it in half and tosses part to her. It doesn't taste good, but it is nutritious and will last.

"How many of these bars did you grab?"

"There's just a couple more," Zuko admits.

Katara nods, understanding the need to ration supplies. "Okay," she says, eating her piece very carefully. She knows this might be the only thing they get to eat today.

After each finishes and has another drink, they begin their trek again. The sun is halfway down the afternoon sky when they see a post to a small town.

"The Village of Mura," Zuko reads. "It doesn't look to far from here."

"So?" Katara wipes the sweat from her brow. "What are we going to do at a village? We don't have any—"

But before she can finish, Zuko pulls a small sack of coins from his bag and tosses it to her.

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?" She's truly impressed.

Zuko lets out a rare, genuine smile.

The pair's high spirits are short-lived, however, because when they approach the town, they see several large wanted posters on the wall, two of which bear their likenesses.

Katara freezes in place and reaches out to Zuko.

Each poster reads "By decree of Fire Lord Ozai, the banished Prince Zuko and treacherous Waterbender of the Southern Tribe, are wanted, Dead or Alive. Substantial reward."

"Dead or alive," Katara mumbles, "but he's your father…"

"Yes, that's my father," Zuko says through gritted teeth. He's upset, but not unsurprised. Part of him has always figured it would come to this. "Here," he says, taking off his cloak and throwing it over Katara, "you can't be seen in water tribe clothes. We need to get you new ones. And you should probably take out your braid."

Katara beings undoing it. "But what about you, Zuko?" Her voice is full of concern. "Your scar…"

Luckily, the portrait used in the poster shows Zuko with his royal topknot and partially shaved head. He shakes his hair messily in front of his eyes, hiding it as best he can. "I'll be alright," he tells her.

He's more worried about Katara. In this area of the world, more people have scars than blue eyes.

"Here," he tells her, putting one pouch of money in her hands. "We'll be more suspicious if we're seen together. You go find new clothes and food, and I'll get us some camping materials. We won't want to stay here. Okay?"

Concern is still written all over her face.

"Katara?"

She shakes her worry off and looks at him. There's immense pity in her eyes; she can't believe a father would do this to his son, but she knows they need to focus and get out of the town as quickly as they can.

"Yeah, right. And let's agree, neither of us should bend, even tonight at camp. Probably not until we get back to Aang. We can't risk being seen, not when there's this high reward."

Zuko agrees, and they split up.

Zuko makes quick work of gathering supplies. He gets two blankets, a small pot for cooking, two little bowls, and another satchel to carry the supplies. He figures if he carries the heavier stuff, and Katara their food in the smaller bag, they should be fine. He doesn't linger at any of the stalls he shops in, and quickly returns to the town center to meet Katara.

Katara takes her time, however, haggling over the fruit and meat prices, making sure she gets a good deal. She also meets a friendly dresser, and after examining several garments, she tries on a long black skirt and deep red sash that ties over it, draping down in the front. She puts on a black, sleeveless band around her top, ties an open front shirt with short, fluttery sleeves, over it to provide a bit more coverage.

"You look lovely, dear," the kindly dressmaker tells Katara as she examines herself in the mirror. Katara smiles, she can't disagree. She actually really likes the Fire Nation clothing, it's so much less restrictive than the layers and layers she has to wear in the South Pole.

"You said it was eight copper pieces?" She asks sweetly.

"I said it was ten," the old woman says, her voice dropping. But she quickly brightens, "but since it suits you so well, I'll give it to you for nine."

Katara leaves the dress stall with her goods in hand and makes her way to the town center where she'd agreed to meet Zuko. She smiles to herself, pleased with the deals she'd made that day.

Zuko stands in the corner, half hidden in the shade and keeping his head down.

"What on earth is taking her so long?" he mumbles to himself, tracing lines in the dirt with his shoe, then getting frustrated and kicking it.

"Woah, check out the fresh meat!" A group of young men chuckle as they pass him.

"What I wouldn't give to take a bite out of that," another says with a low whistle.

They laugh some more, and Zuko, huffs, annoyed.

"Is she new to town?"

It's only then that Zuko lifts his gaze. He sees Katara entering the town square. She's stopped to toss a ball back to a group of young children.

"Thanks, nice lady!" a little kid peeps.

Katara's smile only brightens, "you're welcome!"

Everyone seems to be noticing her. She's waving now to the kid's parents, who sweetly thank her. And the group of young guys haven't stopped commenting or ogling. They start to walk towards her, but Zuko darts quickly in front of them and up to Katara.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He takes her by the arm and leads her out of the square.

"Hey," Katara says, surprised. "What's up with you?"

"I just don't trust these people."

Katara can't believe him. "Everyone's been nice to me."

Zuko just sighs heavily and leads her down a quiet side street.

"Were you nice to them, Zuko? Or were you just huffy and gloomy to them?"

"What? I'm not huffy or gloomy."

Katara just raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes, I was nice. That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

Zuko just sighs again and shakes his head. "Did you get everything?"

"Almost," Katara confesses, turning to look at him. "They were out of dried meat, but I placed an order and can pick up a pound first thing in the morning."

"Do we really need dried meat?"

"It doesn't go bad," Katara explains, "and I already paid for it."

Zuko curses under his breath.

"What?" She gives him a pointed look.

He just shakes his head and looks back at the town square, noticing more wanted posters on the wall.

"I want to come with you tomorrow to get it, and then we're out of this town, okay?"

"I thought it was better if we weren't seen together?"

"I changed my mind. We stick together and we get out of here as soon as we can." His eyes go to another set of wanted posters on the wall. Katara follows them and sighs. But Zuko then looks back to the town square, eyes burning.

Zuko and Katara walk back to the forest outside of the little town, and they find an open space to make camp. Katara proudly regales Zuko with the tales of her masterful bargaining, and he smiles, mostly because she seems so happy with herself.

"And then he I got him to give me eight apples, two bags of rice, and some dried herbs."

"That's good."

"And then I got the dressmaker to give me a deal on these clothes. She wanted ten pieces for it, but I got it for nine."

Katara beams. "What do you think? Do I look like a proper Fire Nation lady?"

Zuko has to admit, she does look very nice. _Too nice,_ he thinks to himself, remembering the comments he heard before, but he keeps those thoughts to himself.

"Zuko?"

He shakes his head and collects his thoughts. "Yeah, you look nice," he says, before he returns to his work trying to make a fire without bending. It's not going well for him.

Her smile flickers, she can tell something is bothering him, and she takes in his sour mood.

"Have you ever tried being nice to people, Zuko?"

Zuko's anger flares. "I'm nice to people! How am I not nice to people?"

"You're grumpy."

"Look at what I'm doing right now. I'm making camp! Isn't that nice?" He huffs, gesturing to the fire he'd been trying to start for the past thirty minutes.

"You can be angry too."

"So?"

"All I'm saying is, I had a good time talking to those people, I got everything we needed, and for good prices too. Maybe you would have had a better time if you-"

They begin talking over one another.

"Why isn't this working?! Normal people do it all the time, it's got to be possible," Zuko yells at the wood he was working on, like it had just personally insulted him.

"—had a better attitude."

"I don't think a positive attitude is going to help me get this fire lit," Zuko says, throwing the kindling down and getting up. "And I don't think it's what got you all those good deals today."

He looks over at Katara. Her face is a mixture of confusion and hurt. Zuko softens. "Sorry, I just think you may be overestimating the value of niceness sometimes."

* * *

* * *

_We'll just see about that,_ Katara thinks to herself. "You want me to try?" she gestures to the fire.

Having gotten nowhere, Zuko hands the sticks he was trying to spark to her. "Good luck."

Katata kneels down by the small pile of dried leaves and other kindling they'd gathered and begins to rub. Her motions are careful and focused, and after only a few minutes, a bit of smoke erupts from the wood. Katara waits a few minutes, and then blows ever so slightly on it. And sure enough, a little flame bursts forth.

Zuko scowls, but Katara sends him a big smile.

"Nice work," he admits.

"Maybe it was luck," she says with a little wink.

Zuko then works to cook their meal for dinner. He's not very good at it, and Katara has to step in.

"Do you really think I'm mean?" he asks her, as he hands her the spoon he was stirring their dinner with.

Katara looks at him strangely for a second, and realizes her comments must have gotten to him. "No," she says, testing the rice. "More water," she tells him, letting him get it since she can't bend. She watches her for a few moments. "You're not mean." She's not sure, now that she thinks about it, that he was ever mean, even back when he was trying to capture them.

"But I'm angry." It's only half a question.

"Yes," Katara says, her voice is soft, sensitive, remembering they learned his own father wants him dead today, "I think you are."

Zuko sighs heavily. "I'm trying not to be."

Katara wants to reach out to him, touch his arm, maybe even hug him, but she stops herself. "I think that's good, Zuko."

"Yeah." He leans back against a nearby tree and blows the hair out of his face.

Katara watches him carefully, getting a brief glimpse of his scar again and wondering how he got it. She realizes he might have very good reasons to be angry, even though he's a prince, and wishes she knew how to help. But since she doesn't, she just finishes cooking their dinner of rice and herbs.

The next morning, they rise early and head into town to get the rest of their supplies. Zuko is on edge, waiting for something bad to happen, but much to his surprise, and a bit to his chagrin, nothing does. Katara makes pleasant chitchat with the meat vendor as he prepares their supplies, and he even gives them some free samples.

"Thank you, so so much," she tells the man kindly.

She then elbows Zuko in the side. "Thanks." He still sounds a bit gloomy but also sincere.

They keep a good pace that day and cover a lot of ground.

"But surely you had friends?" Katara keeps trying to spark a conversation.

"Why would you think that?" Zuko asks her genuinely, and Katara doesn't realize she has a good answer. Actually, if there's anything she's learned about her new ally, it's that he's never had many friends at all.

"Well, what did you do as a child then?"

"I trained. Firebending in the mornings, and again at noon. There was also sword fighting, martial arts, history, calligraphy, etiquette, dance…"

"You know how to dance?" she sounds excited.

"That's not what I said," he says with a bit of a laugh, remembering how much he hated those lessons, "just because they tried to teach me doesn't mean I learned."

"But didn't you play any games with other children? Ever?"

"I think most of the other noble children were afraid to play with Azula."

Katara nods. This does not surprise her.

"Her games mostly consisted of shooting fire bolts at you until she burned you and you begged her to stop."

Katara's eyes catch Zuko's. They suddenly turn wide and full of concern. "Did Azula do that to you?"

"Of course. I didn't want it to do it to the other noble children. I could at least firebend, so I stood a chance at blocking her blows."

"Did you?"

"Well, she was a much better firebender than me at first. But I guess it was a good way to learn." He shrugs, not thinking much of it.

"Zuko, that's horrible."

He looks at her strangely, like he's never thought of it that way before. He thinks about telling her that if she thinks Azula was bad, she should hear what he's father's done to him, but he realizes that won't lighten the mood. His mother was always nice, though, and maybe he could tell her that, but he's not really sure he wants to.

But before he can think of anything to say, they hear the sound of footsteps approaching and see three, large armed men.

The first of the men, the largest, is bald and carries a curved blade. He also has a thin, slice of a scar running down the left side of his face. The man to his left has a sharp nose and sharp sword, which he already has drawn. The third man is wearing a little cap on his head with floppy sides that hang over his ears, has a small goatee, and has a crazed look in his eye. He licks his lips as they approach.

"Well, well, what do we have here, boys?" The first man says in a deep, barrel of a voice.

"Looks like we found ourselves dinner," the second says, turning his sword in his hands.

"And dessert," the third laughs.

Zuko immediately moves himself in front of Katara and begins to draw his blades.

"You gonna make us work for it, kid?" the first says. "It'd be easier if you just give us your goods, that way no one has to get hurt."

The third man is still looking at Katara and lets out a choked, gurgle of a laugh.

Katara instinctively clutches her satchel more tightly. _They just bought all their supplies,_ she thinks to herself, _there's no way these men are taking them from her._

Zuko takes a few more steps in front of Katara, putting more distance between them and her, and he separates his dual sword, taking a blade in each hand.

The large thug nods, impressed, and moves forward to fight.

Zuko is a skilled swordsman, but his skill is nearly matched by these men's brute determination and strength. They send wild, forceful blows at him, and he's just barely able to knock both of their blades away with his as he tries to direct the fight away from Katara.

She stares on, wide eyed, wanting to help, but not sure how. She's still got her satchel held tightly to her chest.

Zuko is making good work of them, dodging and darting blows from the two men until the third rushes him from behind, swinging a big club. Zuko notices him a second too late, and the bat crashes hard against Zuko's ribs, causing him to drop to his knees. He then takes another swing and hits Zuko's head.

Zuko drops his swords this time, falling forward and breaking his fall with his hands. The other two men gleefully kicks the swords away from him, and the third continues to get kicks in.

Zuko takes a deep breath and gathers his strength. He looks up, and his eyes meet Katara's. She's unfastening her waterskin. Zuko shakes his head fervently no.

Zuko's mind is swirling, but he knows that if either of them bend, these men will be back with plenty more to take them down and collect the reward. He has to finish this fight himself.

Zuko grabs and handful of dirt, and when one of the thugs comes close to him, he tosses it in the man's eye. He drops his sword and screams, throwing his hands to his face.

Zuko moves in one fluid flash. He grabs a fallen weapon and goes after the other two.

"Finish him!" the leader screams, wiping his eyes.

Zuko makes good work blocking the second swordsman. Their swords lock and tangle, and Zuko is able to get close enough to elbow the man in the face. His nose bleeds and he drops his sword. Zuko quickly grabs it, but before he can turn around, the third man breaks his club across Zuko's back.

Both Zuko and Katara scream.

Zuko falls forward on his face. He wills himself to get up, roll over, but can't.

"Come on kid," the largest thug says, "you're finished."

He picks up his sword and the sack of supplies Zuko had been carrying, he opens it, dumping the contents on the ground and inspecting the goods. He kicks the blankets and camping supplies aside and smiles when he sees the small sack of coins. He smiles widens when he hears it jingle.

The second man is still holding his nose, gushing blood, and cursing.

The third laughs and goes up to Katara. "Now, let's see what you've got here." Still cackling, he pulls the bag from her. She holds it tightly, but he easily pries it from her hands. "Let us see," he repeats. But instead of opening it, he just tosses it to the first guy, and he pushes Katara's hair behind her back.

Katara's skin crawls and she feels a fear deep in her stomach she's never felt before.

"Leave us," Zuko says. He's somehow pulled himself and has is dual blades in each hand again.

The leader looks at the battered and bloody boy with his twin blades, then over at his friend and Katara, and back to Zuko. He doesn't want to admit it, but that boy is one of the best fighters he's seen. He doesn't want to face him if he's got a real reason to fight.

"You got what you wanted, now go." Zuko says again. He spits blood from his mouth and swings his swords into an attacking position.

The third man laughs again, but the first agrees.

"Yeah, we did, let's go."

"But…" the third protests.

"Let's go." He tosses Katara's bag of food over his back and kicks the scattered camping gear in the dirt again.

The three thugs collect their weapons and leave.

Katara's eyes burn, she wants to go after them, attack them and get their supplies back, but before she can do so, Zuko tumbles to his knees.

"Oh my god, Zuko!" she runs over to him.

"It's okay, Katara," he says.

But he clearly isn't. Blood is seeping through a few injuries under his shirt, and he's got a gash above his eye, blood in his mouth.

"Oh, Zuko," she says, tears well in her eyes and she pulls him over to a grassy area under a large tree. "I'm so sorry."

He just shakes his head. She doesn't need to apologize.

"I should have been able to help you. If we could have bended…"

"Couldn't risk it," Zuko tells her, his voice full of pain.

"But they took everything."

"No, they didn't," he says, looking her deeply in the eyes.

She just nods and begins softly removing his shirt so she can heal him.


	5. Sparing Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Katara helps Zuko heal, they uncover more about each other and she realizes he's not quite the man she thought he was.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Nineteen: Sparing Partners

* * *

Katara gasps as she removes his shirt. Not only at his new wounds, but at the several scars she finds there. Most are old, most from burns, but a few she can tell are from blades.

Zuko moans painfully and she eases him on his back. She unstops her waterskin and calls all the fluid from it. Katara doesn't even look around, she just holds it in her hands and presses it above Zuko's wounds.

"It's okay, Zuko," she promises, tears filling her eyes, "I can fix this."

If Zuko hears her, he doesn't respond. His eyes are closed, his body full of pain, and his mind slipping from him.

When Zuko wakes up, it's late morning, and he's covered in the blankets under the shade of a large tree. His body protests as soon as he moves, and he drops the covers to survey the damage. Great dark bruises cover both his sides and parts of his arms. But his jaw actually aches and the big gash above his eye is only a shallow cut now, but it's still very tender. Everything is sore though, and he curses to himself as he tries to move.

He gets up and looks for Katara, looks for water, but his legs are shaky. He shakes his head and tries to collect himself.

When Katara hears him, she rushes over. "Easy now," she says, putting her arm under him and guiding him to sit. "You want water?"

"Please," his voice rasps.

Katara lets Zuko take several minutes to drink. She knows his body is still badly injured, and she'll have to heal him again today.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty bad," he says honestly but with a slight smile. His eyes meet Katara's, but she still looks severe. "How about you?"

She's surprised he asks her this. She nods her head yes, _of course I'm fine, I'm not the one who got attacked,_ but tears spill over her eyes. "I just hate that I couldn't help you."

"You're helping me now," he says plainly.

"I should have been able to fight with you. If I could have bended…"

"It wasn't worth the risk. With all those wanted posters, the reward, those guys, if they knew, they would have come back, with more men."

Katara just nods. She knows he's right but still hates it. "But look what they did to you." Her voice is deeply pained.

"I've had worse," he tells her, trying to be reassuring.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she tells him, sad because she believes him.

Zuko is strangely affected by this.

After he finishes drinking, Katara helps him lie back down. "It's more effective when you can guide me," she tells him, calling water from her pouch.

Zuko is self-conscious at first, laying shirtless beneath Katara, as her hands hover just an inch or so above his skin, her healing waters softly flowing over him. He knows his body must be so ugly, both with this beating and his scars.

"Just tell me where it hurts."

"Okay, yeah, that hurts a little."

Her hands gently move down his side, and the cool water circles over his skin.

"Ow, okay, that one hurts a lot."

"This wound is deep and ugly," she says as she focuses on a deep cut in his side.

"Well, what's one more ugly scar," he says more harshly than he means to.

Katara realizes she offended him. "No, Zuko, I didn't mean it like that!"

"It's okay, Katara, I know what I look like."

Katara is horrified to hear him say this. It never occurred to her he might be insecure.

"You're not ugly, Zuko," she tells him.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?" There's still an edge in his voice.

"Because I'm sad," she says, raising her eyes to his, for a moment, and then looking back at his wounds, his scars. "No one deserves to have this happen to them."

Something about her comment scares him, makes him feel vulnerable, maybe even weak. He always knew he was responsible for what happened to him, his actions produced the results, whether it was his poor firebending forms or blatant disrespect to his father. But something about the word "deserve" bothered him, so he tried not to think about it.

"Yeah, that hurts a little," he tells Katara, who is still guiding her healing waters over him. "Maybe a little lower," he says, closing his eyes and trying to focus on the sensation. "Lower."

Zuko can't deny it feels nice.

She adjusts accordingly. She studies him carefully. She'd been so certain she couldn't trust him for so long, and she's surprised to find herself not only deeply trusting him, but also caring. He's not at all the person she thought he was, even when he first switched to their side to help them. She'd assumed he wanted to get back at his father, at Azula, that helping them was just a way to hurt his family and recover some sense of his princely pride.

She was constantly waiting for him to betray her, the group, again, to learn that this was all part of some elaborate, long con.

But looking down at him, at the fading bruises from the beating he took for her, and all the old, old scars that covered him, she realizes that there is so much more to this man that she ever thought there could be.

Zuko seems to have fallen asleep, and she lets the water slide off her hands and on to the ground. She then carefully, very softly, puts her hands to his skin. She feels around the edges of the worst wound on his side, _This will need a few more sessions,_ she thinks to herself. She lets her fingers trace softly over his skin. They find a burn scar on his chest. It's very soft and very smooth. Her hand slowly wander up to a jagged red scar on the front of his shoulder. She knows this one is from a blade. She finds herself wishing she could do something about it.

She then makes her way up to his face, looking at the gash above his eye. She inspects her work carefully, _this one is healing nicely_ , she thinks. She lightly brushes his hair away from his eyes, looking at the horrible burn around his eye and takes in just how awful of a wound it is.

"You didn't deserve any of this," she whispers, stroking his cheek softly, and realizing that he just might be as much of a victim of the horrors of the Fire Nation as the rest of them.

Zuko sleeps for a few more hours and stirs later in the afternoon. He's surprised at how good he feels this time when he awakens, still sore, but his body isn't protesting nearly as much as it did earlier.

He gets up, stretching, testing out his body, genuinely impressed with the good work Katara was able to do, and looks around for her.

He notices that Katara has placed a small pile of nuts and berries near him in addition to her pouch full of water, but he doesn't see her.

Zuko scowls slightly, but doesn't really worry just yet. He lifts his hands up, testing a couple firebending moves, doing simple, gentle rotations just to see how it feels.

"Careful!" Katara screams as she enters the clearing. She drops a pile of sticks she'd grabbed for a fire and rushes over to him.

"I'm being careful," Zuko grumbles.

But Katara already got her hands on him, inspecting the wounds.

"This one still hasn't healed all the way," she says, looking at the cut on his side, "and your head…"

Zuko softly takes her hands in his and pulls them from his face.

"Katara, Katara, I'm fine," he says, looking her in the eyes. He's shocked when he notices there are tears in them. "What's wrong?"

She turns her head away. "I just hate that this happened to you. That I couldn't help you, couldn't stop those men. If I could have bended…"

"You know it wasn't worth the risk."

"I know," Katara says, still angry about it. "It's just not fair."

Zuko laughs slightly. If experience has taught him anything, fair is rarely a factor in life. He walks over to the pile of sticks Katara just dropped and kicks them around, and when he finds two thick ones, he picks them up.

"What are you doing?"

"Come over here."

She eyes him skeptically.

"Will you come over here, please, Katara?"

She walks over and stands across from him.

"Here you go," he says, handing her one of the sticks. "Just because you can't bend doesn't mean you can't fight."

Katara's eyes light up and she smiles. "You're going to teach me how to sword fight!"

"Why not?"

She can't believe he's doing it so nonchalantly. She didn't think any man from the water tribes would ever teach a woman how to use a weapon.

She raises it up to him, like she's ready to strike.

Zuko just laughs softly, her form and grip are horrible. He could knock it from her hands with a light blow. He doesn't though.

"First, you have to learn how to hold it." He takes his stick and grabs the end, extending one finger to the edge. He lowers his hand, so it's pointing downwards, and stick extends upwards, right next to his arm.

Katara looks at him carefully and tries to copy his position.

"Don't hold it quite so close to the end."

She adjusts.

"Okay, good. Now breath in and breath out. Close your eyes and focus. You need to think of this weapon as part of your body, and extension of your arm."

Zuko watches Katara focus and breath.

"Good."

"All I'm doing is breathing, Zuko," she says, a bit crossly.

He smiles. "Okay, now watch me."

He resumes his original position, with his finger pointing down and the stick point up along his arm. He takes a step forward, flipping the stick upwards and tossing it to his other hand. Now, it's in a striking position.

Katara tries to copy him, but her movement is clumsy, and every time she tries to switch the hands the stick is in, she fumbles a bit.

"Try to think of it as one, fluid movement. As you step and move forward, the sword should swing in your other hand."

She tries again.

"And don't forget to breath."

"I am breathing, Zuko," she grumbles.

"But you need to move with your breath. Let your breath guide you. This is one move, one breath, they should all go together."

Zuko does it again. Katara can't deny that he makes it look very graceful and elegant.

Zuko watches her practice a few times, and he can tell she's getting irritated.

"As your left foot goes forward, the left hand swings up, and when you step, shifting your weight, the blade switches hands."

"That's what I'm going, Zuko."

But her movements are still disjointed and rough. And it takes far too long for the stick to go from her left hand to her right.

"Try again, and mind how you're grasping it. You need to have a strong solid grip on the hilt."

She huffs and moves her hand.

"No, start over. You can't readjust after you've started."

"Why not?"

"Because in a real battle, that's a few seconds wasted, and it could mean your life."

"But this isn't a real battle, Zuko."

"Do you want me to go easy on you? Or do you want to learn how to fight?"

"I want to learn how to fight."

"Okay then, start again."

Katara sends him a dirty look, but complies. And they keep practicing as the sun sets.

"Looking good," Zuko says after she practiced for a few hours. She's now getting the stick-sword into her other hand smoothly as she takes a position. She holds it in a striking position and smiles.

Zuko walks around her, assessing her form, and smiles back.

"Do I get to hit something now?"

Zuko gets in a striking pose across from her and nods, telling her to strike. She slams her stick into his as hard as she can, but Zuko hardly budges. He then quickly hits her stick, sending it flying from her hand.

"Hey!" Katara screams, shocked he disarmed her so easily.

Zuko just smiles. "Strength isn't everything. You also have to know how, when, and where to hit."

Zuko collects her stick from the ground and hands it back to her. She wants to keep practicing, but she notices how he winces when he moves, still in some pain on his side, and that it's getting dark.

"I guess that's enough for today," she tells him.

Zuko agrees and bows respectfully towards her, as is customary to do after practicing.

"Thank you, Zuko," she says, deeply meaning it, and bowing back.

Zuko doesn't say anything, so she continues.

"It really means a lot to me, that you're willing to teach me how to fight. You know, in the water tribes, they don't let women learn how to fight. Not even the ones who can waterbend. They only let us use it for healing."

Zuko is a bit surprised to hear this. She's such a powerful bender, he's impressed if she learned it on her own. He's only as good as he is – both in sword fighting and bending – because he's had the best teachers and has practiced constantly since he was a kid.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he says honestly.

She just shrugs. It is the way it is.

He sees the distant, sad look in her eyes. "Tomorrow, we can go over a couple striking positions." Her face begins to brighten. "They'll be good for you to know."

"Can we use your real swords?" she sounds excited.

"What? Are you kidding? Of course not, you could get hurt!"

"I'll be careful."

"Katara, half these scars are from training," he tells her seriously, gesturing to the marks on his arms and chest that she'd looked at so sadly earlier in the day.

Katara nods, understanding, and also wondering where the other half came from.

"Okay, the sticks again tomorrow." 

Zuko nods and begins building a fire. 

"Thank you, Zuko." 

"You don't have to keep thanking me, Katara," he tells her. "It's the least I could do, especially ." 

She suddenly realizes she's probably said this a dozen or more times today. 

"I guess, what I really mean is, I'm sorry." 

"Sorry for what?" He's genuinely confused. 

Now that the fire's lit, Katara pulls a little bit of water to her and reexamines his side. 

"For all the things I said to you, before we got out here..." 

Zuko looks down at his feet. Katara did say some hurtful things. 

"Don't worry about it, Katara. I deserved most of it, for all the things I've done..." 

"No, Zuko, you didn't," she tells him, looking him deeply in the eyes, "you didn't deserve any of it at all. And I'm really sorry for how I treated you." 

Zuko has to look away, not wanting to think about it, have feelings about any of it. 

"Does it still hurt?" she asks, guiding a bit of water to his side. 

"A little," he confesses. 

"Does this feel better?" 

"Yes," he admits. It really does. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello All! Thank you for reading! I'm really intrigued by the idea of setting up Zuko with some insecurities about how he looks (because this story line is so often shoved on women) and Katara with wanting to learn how to be a better fighter (because that storyline is usually given to men). I think the show opened an interesting possibility to explore that, so I hope it's coming across well here. As always, I'd love to know what you think! I'm not sure I quite have Zuko's character down, and might need to go back and revise it.


	6. The Farmhouse

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty: The Farmhouse

* * *

When Katara wakes up the next morning, Zuko has already risen. He's standing shirtless in the clearing, practicing some of his bending forms in the new morning's light.

Katara walks up to him slowly. His eyes are closed, and his got one of his hands stretched out in front of him, the other curled tightly to his side. He swivels around, extending the opposite hand outwards and bringing the other in.

"Morning, Katara," he says before he opens his eyes.

"How'd you know I was here?" she didn't think she made a sound.

Zuko just smiles and finishes his pose.

"Do you do this every morning?" she asks him.

He nods. "Almost. I always feel strongest at sunrise."

"You look strong," she says, noticing his lean muscle for a moment before blushing. "How do you feel?" She makes herself look at his wounds, "otherwise, I mean."

"I feel good," he tells her, lifting his arms so she can see his side. The deep wound is now little more than a cut. He's still got some bruising on both sides of his ribs, but they're fading and barely hurt.

Katara has to agree that his wounds look pretty well healed. "I guess we should pack put up and hit the road then," she says, looking back at their blankets and the other small signs of their camp.

But Zuko reaches over and grabs something off the ground, when Katara looks back, he hands it to her.

He's carved the ends of two large sticks to look more like swords.

"Not until after we go over a few more movements."

"Oh, Zuko," Katara appreciates it, but knows they don't have the time. "You don't have to do this."

"No," Zuko says, "this is important to you."

He tosses her one of the sticks. She grips it, holding it the way he instructed her to yesterday.

Zuko observes her. "Good."

She carefully goes through the motions he taught her yesterday, remembering to breath, point her fingers downwards, and switch the sword to her other hand as she takes her step.

"Very good."

"You know, I don't remember you being this easy on Aang when you started teaching him firebending."

Zuko scoffs.

"Oh, I'm not being easy on you."

"You sure? I don't want any special treatment because I'm a girl."

Zuko shakes his head, smile still on his face. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Okay then."

Zuko begins going through a couple jabbing movements, pointing with one hand and then following through with his sword.

"Firebending comes from a place of intense emotion, it can be made more powerful by fear, rage, even passion."

He looks over at Katara who is studying him closely.

"Sword fighting is about control and precision," he tells her, looking her in the eye, "you have to be calm and collected." He exhales deeply after he finishes his motion.

"Aang needed to be provoked, properly motivated to use his fire. You don't."

"Okay," she says, tone a bit skeptical, "so how'd you get to be this good at it? You're not exactly Mr. Calm and Collected."

She starts to mimic his motions.

Zuko laughs, "lots and lots of practice."

He goes through the movement again, and Katara follows.

"Elbow up a bit higher," he tells her, raising her arm slightly with his hand, "and now thrust downwards."

She does.

"Feel how that's more forceful?"

"Yeah!" she says, her excitement obvious.

They practice for about an hour more, and Katara has gotten through a few of the moves pretty well, before they decide to pack up.

As Zuko collects their few belongings, Katara comes over as he's packing his swords.

"May I?"

He nods and hands her one carefully.

She grips it the way he taught her to. "This is heavier than I imagined."

"Well, you hold these swords differently," he tells her, showing her how he grips its partner, "dual swords are different than straight swords."

She tries to copy him, and the sword is even harder to carry this way, so she just gives it back to him.

Zuko swings the twin blades impressively before sheathing them in his scabbard.

"Showoff," Katara chides him.

They've been walking for a few hours when the rain starts.

"Great," Zuko grumbles, and Katara moves to bend the water off of them but stops herself. They take shelter under a large tree, but before long, they are both thoroughly soaked through and figure they might as well keep walking.

As they trudge through the mud, they come upon an old woman whose cart is stuck. She's trying to get her goose-mule to pull it out, but the poor animal is failing. It stomps its enormous webbed feet into the ground.

"Come on Beni, one good pull," the old woman says, stroking the beak of the animal. It has the body of a goose, mostly, but is very large with a mule's tail, ears, and big soulful eyes.

Beni brays in protest, snapping his soft beak.

"We have to help them, Zuko," Katara tells him.

"Yeah, I know." He agrees but doesn't sound happy about it.

"Can we help you?" Zuko asks as they approach. He hands his bag and sword to Katara.

"What! Oh, my, I didn't see you there. My eyes aren't what they used to be," she squints at him. "Thank you, my boy, I think it's stuck in the mud."

Zuko realizes as he gets closer that the cart isn't simply stuck in the mud, but that one of it's wheels has broken off.

"Great," he grumbles to himself again, and tries to reattach the wheel. It takes him a few minutes to figure out how to reassemble it, but eventually is able to get it in place and ties some rope around it to keep it secure.

"That should work," he says, surveying his work. "Now, to get it out of the mud."

"You're going to have to lift it," the old woman tells him, and unfortunately, Zuko agrees.

The old woman grabs Beni's reins and pulls.

"Come on, boy," she tells her animal.

The goose-mule groans and pulls forward. Katara sets down their supplies and stands by Zuko, and both push on the back of the cart.

Katara and Zuko push with all their might, and Katara can tell Zuko's pushing way harder than she can, but the cart doesn't budge.

"Gotta put your back into it, boy," the old woman says.

"I am," Zuko says through gritted teeth, not appreciating the direction. But both he and Katara try and push harder.

After several minutes, Katara steps away from the cart and looks around. Seeing no one, and the woman at the front talking to her goose-mule, Katara bends the water out of the mud beneath the cart so it suddenly sits on solid ground and begins to move forward.

Zuko gives her an appreciative grin and she winks at him.

"Well, I'll be," the old lady says, coming back to thank them, "You did well."

Zuko just nods, wiping the sweat and rain from his brow, even though it's a useless gesture as it's still pouring.

"Doesn't look like it's letting up, does it?" The old woman says.

"No," Katara says, surveying the sky.

"You guys got anywhere to go?"

"No," Zuko says this time.

"Alright then, follow me," the old woman says. "My home's not too far from here, and I can at least get you dried off and feed ya til this storm blows over."

Zuko and Katara happily follow her.

"Come on, Beni," she says.

"My name's Gaoma," she tells them as they reach her small farmhouse. She leads Beni into a stable out front.

"I'm Lee," Zuko says quickly, bowing towards her respectfully.

Katara hadn't prepared herself to answer this question, and stammers as she looks for a name. "I'm, um, Ka…" She stops herself from saying her own name, "Kyla."

"Akyla?" Gaoma clarifies.

"Sure," Katara agrees.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thanks," Katara says, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Gaoma leads them into her small home, and as she does, she bellows out. "Girls! Girls, where are you? We got company! I got three granddaughters," she tells Zuko and Katara. "Prepare yourselves."

Suddenly, three young women pour into the room.

"This is Ling, Ming, and Toa."

"Hi," Zuko says, "I'm Lee."

"Hello," Katara says, "I'm Akyla." But she notices all three girls are only paying attention to Zuko.

"Hi," all three gush and giggle.

"Girls, these are our guests, they just helped me unstick Beni and my cart from the mud. Go get something for Akyla to wear," she tells them.

The girls giggle some more and run off.

"Here," Gaoma says, leading Zuko and Katara over to the fire, "you can set your stuff here to dry." She tosses another log into the hearth. "Hopefully this rain lets up soon, we don't have too many logs left." She sighs and goes into one of the back rooms.

She returns a few minutes later with dry clothes for Zuko. "These belonged to my son," she tells him, "they should fit you nicely." She says this with a soft smile on her face. "There's a washroom right through there, you can go clean up and change."

"Thank you," Zuko says with another respectful bow.

"Such a polite young man," Gaoma says to herself.

Zuko goes in to change and comes out a few minutes later.

"What do you mean you didn't find anything!" Gaoma snaps at her granddaughters. "Oh, you impossible, silly creatures!"

Zuko notices Katara, her arms wrapped around herself, and she shivers slightly in her wet clothes as she stands close to the small fire. No one notices but Katara, but he stares into the fire for a moment, and the flames suddenly grow large. Katara sends him an appreciative nod as Gaoma chastises her granddaughters.

"Why, you three are no more useful than a housefly! Come on," Gaoma says, grabbing Katara's hand, "I'll find you something. Dinner had better be cooking when I get back!" she yells at the girls.

"Lee, are you hungry?"

"Why do you like to eat?"

"Do you want to help us cook?"

All three giggle some more and Zuko stumbles over his responses.

Gaoma takes Katara into the girls' room. It's humble and sparse, with only one large bed where Katara assumes all three girls must sleep together.

Gaoma opens a dresser and pulls out some clothing. She looks at Katara, and back at the clothes. "You look to be about Ling's size, I think this should fit you," she says, handing her some garments. "There's a washroom right through there," she points, leading Katara back out of the room.

Gaoma leaves the room and Katara tries the clothing on. A long dress with a haltered top seems to fit, and Katara finds a yellow sash to tie around her waist and another stretch of cloth to wrap around her shoulders, still a bit cold from standing in the rain all day. She waterbends most of the water from her hair since no one can see her and returns to the main room.

In the kitchen area, the girls are all fawning of Zuko, and he stands awkwardly amongst them, looking for a graceful way to exit.

"Can you hand me that pitcher, please, Lee?" Ming asks sweetly.

"Sure," Zuko says, trying to be helpful. He reaches up and grabs it from a high shelf.

"Can you get me that spoon?" Ling follows. The spoon is on the counter, only a few inches from Ling's grasp, but Zuko is closer to it, so he passes it to her.

"Thank you, so so much!" she beams!

"Oh, and I need the herbs, can you get them for me Lee?" Toa says, batting her eyes.

Zuko looks at her curiously, the herbs are closer to her than they are to him, and before he can reach around her to grab them, Katara takes them down and thrusts them in Toa's hands.

"Here you go," she says gruffly.

Toa scowls at her.

"Now, what's going on in here?" Gaoma says, "leave that boy alone, he's already helped us enough for one day. Akyla can help you if you need anything."

Katara huffs, wanting to say that she was actually the one who got the cart out of the mud that day, but she knows she can't and begins helping the girls.

The girls clamor around the kitchen, making more as much of a mess as they do progress, and Katara quickly comes to realize that she's really happy she doesn't have any sisters. She finally takes over the cooking and lets the girls focus all of their attention on Zuko, which is clearly what they want to do.

Katara feels a little bad for her friend, who is clearly uncomfortable, but it is funny to watch him try to deflect their attention.

"Where are you from?" Ling asks.

"I was, uh, born on an island, pretty far from here."

"Oh, wow, how exotic. Have you been traveling for long?" Ming joins.

"A few years, actually."

"Wow, you're so adventurous," Ling cuts back in.

"You must be so brave." Ming says, squeezing his upper arm. "And so strong!"

Zuko looks at the girl curiously. Katara just rolls her eyes and stirs their supper.

"Do you like sweet rolls?" Tao cuts in.

"Sure, I guess."

"Where are you and your sister going? Is it some place exciting?"

"Oh, uh, she's not my sister, actually, and maybe I should see if she needs any help…"

Zuko tries to extricate himself from the circle the girls have formed around him and help Katara in the kitchen, but all of the girls fall silent.

"Not your sister?" Ming says.

"Oh, don't tell me she's your—" Ling is horrified.

"Girls, quite pestering the man! He doesn't need to answer every one of your questions."

They all begin to protest, and Zuko slides next to Katara. "Do you need any help?"

"Do you?" she says with an arched eyebrow and small chuckle, tossing a look to the girls.

Zuko blushes. He's not used to this much attention from girls and has no idea how to handle it.

"Please, just let me do something."

"It's almost done. Maybe you could make some tea?"

Zuko nods, this is a task he's comfortable with.

Gaoma makes her three granddaughters set the table and bring over the food. "They are our guests," she repeats again and again. The girls begrudgingly oblige and then fight to see who sits next to Zuko.

"Thank you so much for helping them," Gaoma tells her guests, "you really shouldn't have had to," she adds, sending a glaring look at her granddaughters. "You think with what's happened to their parents, they'd take life more seriously," she says with a heavy sigh, "but, well, I don't need to tell you two what's it's like to be a teenager." Gaoma's eyes twinkle a bit.

"What happened, if you don't mind my asking," Zuko says, about to serve himself with Ming and Ling both present him with two bowls of soup. "Oh, thanks."

Both smiles erupt on both girls' faces until they see him slide one bowl over to Katara. Their smiles turn to glares.

"The same thing that's happened to everyone, these days, I think. The war."

Zuko just looks down, his head heavy.

"Tao's mom is still out there, serving, sending us home whatever money she can, but Ling and Ming's father…"

Gaoma's voice suddenly becomes sad, and Katara is strangely moved to see the toll the war has taken on the Fire Nation people as well.

"War is awful, for everyone," Katara says.

Gaoma nods and agrees. "Only kings and playwrights think it's about glory. The rest of us know the true cost." She turns her head to a small shrine that has a picture of her, her husband and three beautiful children. Zuko can read from the text next to it that all of the others are dead.

He suddenly loses his appetite, recalling all the great speeches his father had given about the war, how much the Fire Nation people loved it. He's known it was a lie for a while, but seeing it was another matter. He tries to make himself eat since he doesn't know when he'll get another meal, but struggles.

The three granddaughters try to offer him more food, but Gaoma shushes them. She can tell from the young man's face that the war has cost him dearly too.

"Leave him alone, for the last time!"

"But I made sweet rolls!" Tao sniffles.

Zuko smiles, ever so slightly, and takes one of her cakes. "Thanks," he tells her, making her face brighten. Luckily, she doesn't notice that he never eats it.

Gaoma tries to get the girls to clean the dishes, but they keep coming back to the table to vie for Zuko's attention. Noticing his sour mood, Gaoma decides to send the girls to bed and do the cleaning herself.

Katara helps.

"We didn't upset him, did we?" Gaoma asks.

"No, I don't think so. He's actually often like this," Katata says as she dries the dishes.

Gaoma smiles at her. "You're so sweet, dear."

Katara just shrugs and keeps cleaning.

When everything is finished, Gaoma brings some blankets over to the space in front of the hearth. She tosses the last couple logs into the fire. "Hopefully they'll last the night," she says, looking outside at the still pouring rain. "It's not much, but it should keep you both warm."

Zuko and Katara accept the blankets gratefully. When she leaves, they both set their blankets down by the fire and get ready to sleep. Katara looks over at her friend, his face is unreadable.

"Are you okay?"

Zuko just sighs. "Ugg, what is with those girls?"

Katara giggles this time. "Zuko, they like you."

He blushes a bit and turns away from Katara.

"Does it bother you that much?"

"I think I'd rather get beaten by another group of bandits," he huffs.

Katara has to admit she found the girls annoying, but she's surprised by his reaction.

"Maybe you should tell them to back off a bit," she says plainly, still watching him.

Zuko huffs heavily again. "No, it's not the girls, I mean, they're a bit much, but they're just girls…"

"Watch what you're saying about girls," she say, her voice half serious, half joking.

"What? Oh, sorry, you know I didn't mean…"

"I know," she tells him, realizing she doesn't have to give him a hard time about it since he's already giving himself such a hard time. "I know."

"There were girls like that at the palace, always giggling, always blushing, god, Azula had this one friend, Ty Lee…" Zuko shakes his head, remembering.

"You never liked the attention?"

"I was banished when I was 13, remember…"

"Isn't twelve when it starts?" She's half joking.

Zuko even laughs, briefly, remembering the brief time in his life when he was – almost – a normal child. He was still a member of the royal family, but there were a few fleeting months before everything happened with his mother, his father, then his banishment.

"Twelve was a bad year for me too," he finally says.

"What happened?"

"I lost my mom," he says, his voice hollow, husky.

Katara remembers how he'd said something like this when they were in the caves at Ba Sing Se together. She also remembers how this was right before he betrayed her and partnered up with Azula. But she's not angry as she remembers it this time. This time, she's sad. She looks at the scar on the side of his face and senses something deep, dark and painful locked away in this young man.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," she says softly.

"Yeah, well, I guess everybody's lost something," he says, looking up at the family picture on the wall, the elegant script honoring the names of all those dead, people who died because of his father, his family. "That's why we've got to stop my father and make things right."

Zuko doesn't say anything else, and Katara finds herself wondering just what exactly Zuko would need to make things right as she falls asleep.


	7. Swimming

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-One: Swimming

* * *

When Katara wakes up the next morning, she's not surprised to see the space next to her is empty. Zuko is already up, and he's folded his blankets neatly. Katara rises and hears Gaoma talking to him.

"I thought you said you'd mended before?" She sounds skeptical.

"I did," Zuko's voice is as annoyed as ever, and Katara quickly sees him trying to mend the tears in his shirt from where the bandits' blades got him the other day. "Ow!" he screams, poking himself with the needle, "why is this so hard?" He sucks on his finger and glares at his shirt.

Katara has a smile on her face as she walks up to them. "Want me to do it?"

Zuko huffs and hands it to her. "Thanks."

Katara quickly threads the needle and begins sewing.

"I've got your clothes cleaned too," Gaoma tells her.

"Thanks," Katara says. "Once I finish this, I'll change, and we can be on our way."

"Take your time, dear," Gaoma says, "Lee agreed to help me with a few other things, so there's no rush."

Katara raises a skeptical eyebrow as she watches her friend head outside. There, Zuko begins to chop a large pile of wood, splintering the logs into smaller pieces Gaoma can burn in her hearth. Since he's still working, Katara agrees to mend a few other items for Gaoma.

"You know I can't get those darned granddaughters of mine to do it, and my eyes just aren't what they used to be."

"I'm happy to do it," Katara tells her. Happy isn't really the right word, but she doesn't mind helping.

When Katara finishes her sewing, she hears Zuko still hard at work splitting logs, and she also hears the three granddaughters giggling as they hid around the edge of the house. As she walks towards them, she realizes why.

Zuko has taken off his shirt in the heat and the strong, lean muscles of his body are on fully display as he swings the axe down on another log.

"Your grandmother is looking for you," she tells the girls, who all jump, startled to hear her. Katara gives them a challenging look.

She takes out her water pouch and approaches Zuko, who is still hard at work and splitting the logs with a singular focus. Katara has seen that look before, and she knows Zuko is taking out something dark and difficult on those logs.

"Want some water?" she offers.

"What? Oh, yeah, thanks."

He drinks deeply and lets some of the water run down his face and chest. Katara can't help but notice this, and has to make herself look away.

"Thank you," he repeats when he finishes, handing the pouch back to her and picking up the axe again.

"You know, Zuko, I don't think you have to chop all the wood."

"What?" He's confused for a moment, "No, I told Gaoma I would. Neither she nor her granddaughters can do this."

"Okay," Katara says, and it sounds like a question. Her eyes study him, the large pile of chopped wood, trying to understand.

"I told her I'd chop the wood and then fix a few things on the barn, then we can leave." Zuko assumes she just wants to get on the road again.

"Okay," Katara says again, trying to figure out what's working inside of him. What he's fighting against. She remembers their conversation the night before, how upset he was about the war, his family, his mother.

Katara remember the anger she's felt about the loss of her mom, and wonders if Zuko is experiencing something similar. She almost asks him about it, but as he's furiously chopping away at the wood again, she decides to do so later.

When he tries to repair the loose gate in the barn and a small hole in its roof, Katara comes to help him. She does it mostly just to be useful and get away from the granddaughters, but she quickly realizes Zuko needs help. She guesses he never had to repair much of anything during his time as a prince, and even has to take over repairing the gate because Zuko doesn't know how to fix it.

"Here, just let me do it," she says, taking the tool from his hand.

Zuko huffs in frustration but lets her complete the chore. Katara doesn't really mind doing the work, and happily notices that Zuko sweetly scratches Beni the goose-mule's nose while she works.

He doesn't talk while they work, except to ask her for help, but when they finish, he sincerely thanks her.

"Thanks, Katara, I really appreciate your help with that."

"Happy to," she says with a soft smile, hoping to get something from him.

But Zuko just nods, as reserved and distant as ever.

He cleans everything up and prepares to leave. The granddaughters beg them to stay longer, but now that Zuko has finished helping Gaoma, he's ready to leave.

"Girls, girls, the only thing you need to say is 'thank you' to these good people who were so kind to help us."

"But we don't want you to go!"

"Can't you stay longer?"

"There's more you can do!"

"Yes, please stay with us, please! Please!"

"Here, this ought to keep you for a while," Gaoma tells them as she hands over a small parcel of food and basic supplies.

"Thank you," Zuko says with another respectful bow.

"Oh, it's the least I could do," Gaoma says warmly.

"You're too kind," Katara tells her. "Thank you for your generosity."

"You both take care now," Gaoma waves to them as her granddaughters continues their whining protests. "Of yourselves and each other!" Gaoma adds a little wink as she says this.

"That was really nice of you, to help her so much," Katara says as the farmhouse disappears in the distance.

Zuko just shrugs. He knows Katara is trying to start a conversation. She's been trying for the past hour or so, and he's doing his best to avoid it. Zuko doesn't want to think about the feelings inside of him, why he's so angry or upset or what he should do about it.

"You're the one who told me to be nice, remember?"

"And you're the one who said you were trying not to be angry." Katara stops and gives him a challenging look. He does not appreciate it.

Zuko wants to yell, but he stops himself. She's right, he doesn't want to act out of anger anymore, and he hates that he still feels so much of it. He's got a bitter taste in his mouth as he tries to figure out what to say, how to articulate his anger.

And as these thoughts turn over in his mind, as he tries to find words to match them, Zuko suddenly realizes that it's not anger that he feels but fear. He's afraid and doesn't want to admit it. He's afraid he'll do something wrong, that he'll fail, that no matter how good his intentions are, it won't be enough. That he won't be enough. Maybe to anyone, ever.

Zuko takes a deep breath and looks Katara in the eyes. "I am trying, Katara. I'm trying really hard."

She can hear the pain in his voice and softens. "I know, Zuko. I'm just trying to help."

Zuko is strangely affected by this. He wasn't expecting her to say something like this and is caught off guard. Part of him wants to hug her, to take her into his arms, but he's too awkward and unsure of what would be appropriate.

"You are helping, Katara," he says, reaching out to her softly, touching her shoulder. He barely touches her, but his gesture is nice. "Please don't think I haven't noticed."

She lifts her hand to meet his, trying to make some meaningful connection with him, to better understand, but he drops his hand the moment he touched her and turns to walk away.

Katara just follows him, wishing she knew something to say that could make things better.

The sun is beginning to descend in the western sky, but the day is still hot and long. They've been walking for a few hours when they hear the sound of rushing water. Katara gets a big smile on her face and speeds towards it.

Even Zuko can't deny the beauty of the view when they get there. They've found a large stretch of water, rippling down the hillside into a large calm pool before tumbling down some more.

"Oh Zuko," Katara says, her heart beating fast, "Come on!"

She gestures towards the water. She runs towards it, stripping off her outer layers of clothes.

Zuko watches, astonished.

When Katara gets to the water, she jumps in, splashing around and testing its depth. The water is cool and feels amazing on her skin. She submerges herself as she reaches the deeper part, letting cool water flow over her before coming back up again. She has to push her hair out of her eyes to see Zuko. He's just standing at the edge with a curious look on his face. "Don't tell me you're in too bad a mood to swim?"

"No," Zuko admits. He's calmed down since earlier. "I just can't swim."

"What do you mean you can't swim!?" She's dumbfounded.

"Um, just that. I can't swim."

"You never learned?"

"Correct." Zuko doesn't understand why she's having such a hard time accepting this.

"I can't believe your parents never taught you!"

"Fire Prince," Zuko opens his arms as he explains, gesturing to himself, "my father doesn't really like water much."

"Don't people in the Fire Nation not swim?"

"Um, I don't know about the commoners—"

Zuko sees Katara's face fall.

"I mean the good people of the Fire—"

Her look grows even more severe.

"I mean the bad people of the Fire Nat—"

"Just call them people, Zuko, that's what they are."

"Right," he admits, a bit sheepishly.

"It's okay," she says, her smile returning, "it was a dumb question."

She swims out farther, dipping under. She stays for several moments, and Zuko almost worries but he knows she knows what she's doing. Katara resurfaces closer to the edge, closer to him.

"Come on in, Zuko, I'll teach you to swim."

"That's okay."

"Come on," she waves at him with her arm to follow her. "The water is so nice."

Zuko is amused at seeing how much fun she's having, but he doesn't give in. "You enjoy yourself. I'm fine over here."

He sits on a rock near the water and takes off his boots, ready to relax a bit when Katara sends a huge wave of water at him when he isn't looking. He's caught completely off guard and is drenched.

"Hey!"

Katara laughs as she treads water several feet away from him.

"That's not funny!"

She just keeps laughing as Zuko tries to shake himself off and wipes his hair out of his eyes.

Katara sends another wave his way, but his one is soft, small and playful. It lightly slaps against Zuko's shoulder.

He tries to hold his serious, unhappy look, but she's breaking him. Even Zuko has to admit that he's having a hard time denying her right now. She looks so happy and beautiful in the water.

"Come on!" Her eyes are shining, "it'll be fun!"

"Fun," Zuko huffs. He sounds like he's not quite sold on the idea yet.

"You do know how to have fun, don't you?"

"Yes, I know how to have fun."

"Prove it," she challenges him.

Zuko tries to hold her stare, but he can't for too much longer and a smile starts to creep across his face. He begins to untuck his shirt and pull it off. He grumbles as he does it, but he gets in.

"I promise I won't let you drown," she tells him as she wades out to her.

He scoffs, beginning to tread water. He's able to keep himself afloat, but he's not a graceful swimmer.

"Here, are you happy?" he says as he gets closer to her.

"Are you?" she asks, her voice turning a bit more serious.

Zuko takes another deep breath and nods. She really isn't making any of this easy on him.  
"I'm trying to be that too," he tells her sincerely.

"Good," she says, a big smile on her face, "And I'm helping."

She splashes him with another wave, and Zuko spits water out of his mouth.

"Come on, Katara…" he says as he tries to splash her back. But she's too far and his wave is too weak to reach her.

She just laughs, a clean, clear good-natured laugh. Zuko knows it's not at his expense. He can see the delight in her eyes and knows she's having fun.

Katara swims closer to him, so close that her arms almost touch his as he treads the water, struggling to keep himself up.

"Here," she says, bending the water around him to help, "let's teach you how to swim."

"I am swimming," he grumbles.

Katara just looks at him, almost rolling her eyes. He's definitely able to keep himself afloat, but he's not swimming. "That's not swimming," she tells him, as she dives past him, taking several long, strong strokes that move her quickly away.

Zuko has to admit that he can't do that, at least not well. Katara comes back over to him, and helps him by bending the water around him as he learns.

She's actually impressed with how quickly he gets the hang of it, and once he's doing pretty well, she sends another playful splash his way.

"Ahh, Katara!" he spits more water from his mouth and shakes the hair from his eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asks him genuinely. As much as she's enjoying herself, she doesn't want to torture him if he really hates it.

It isn't until she says it that he realizes he actually doesn't want her to stop. He is enjoying himself. The sun is still high in the sky, and its light is dancing in the water, which feels wonderful after they'd worked and walked all day. He shakes his head and says "No." His voice is softer than it usually is, almost vulnerable.

She swims back closer to him, and he sends a playful splash her way, and she spins around in a wide ciricle to dodge it just barely.

"See, I told you it was fun," she says, coming out of the circle right in front of Zuko.

"Yeah," he says, his eyes locking with hers as fear begins to grip him again. He can feel it growing in his stomach, that same bitter, biting feeling from before that tells him he's not worthy of anything or anyone. But even as it gnaws at Zuko, he can't stop looking at her.

Katara is suddenly aware that their bodies would be brushing against each other if she weren't consciously bending the water to keep them apart. And as Zuko looks at her, she wonders why she feels the need to do this. As Zuko looks at her, she remembers Aang, and how he looked at her like this once, and then kissed her, and she wonders if Zuko is going to kiss her, and thinks she wants him to.

Just as she stops bending the water so their arms knock into eachother's, sending a little spark across her skin, a huge shadow overcomes them, and they both look up to see Appa flying high across the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hi all! Thank you for reading, I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter. My main objective as a writer is to write more proactive, female character who have agency over their own romantic lives. I absolutely hate how often the girl just ends up with the guy because the guy is the hero or wants her, or stories that have love at first sight that never seems believable. But it's also really hard to write developing romantic feelings believably, so this story is just me trying to figure out how to do that better and I thought Avatar provided a great opportunity to do that for Katara.
> 
> Also, I know Zuko swam in the show, so I just have to retcon that part a bit for my story to work. Thanks again for reading!


	8. Reunion

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Two: Reunion

* * *

"Appa!" Katara screams, excited, swimming back to the shore. Zuko follows her.

There, they throw their clothes back on and scream towards their friends. It seems like they aren't noticed at first, so Zuko sends a burst of flames high into the sky, and Katara follows it with a stream of water.

"Hey, Hey!" Sokka screams to his friends from the back of Appa. "Fire and water, fire and water!"

"What?" Suki asks him, trying to decipher his message for a moment before she sees the twin spouts as well. "Guys, it's them!" She calls attention to the group, who all look.

"It's got to be them," Sokka says.

"Does it?" Toph asks, not having any context for the situation.

"Yeah!" Sokka says, before realizing, "oh, yeah, it's like two kind of pretty bursts of fire and water shot high up into the sky."

Aang steers Appa back around in a big circle and starts to descend near where the fire and what bursts came from.

When Appa lands, Aang immediately jumps off his bison's back and runs to Katara.

"Katara!" he screams, grabbing her in a big hug. "Are you okay? I was so worried about you!"

"Yeah, we're fine," Katara says, pulling herself out of the hug and looking at the group. All she sees is Aang, Sokka, Toph and Suki. "Where is everyone else?" Her attention is on the group.

"They decided to stay at the Western Air Temples while we looked for you on Appa," Sokka explains.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, they're all fine," Sokka says. "What about you guys? You both look good, wet," Sokka notices, his eyes darting between Katara to Zuko, "wet but good."

"Yeah, we were swimming," Zuko says.

"Mmmhmmm," Sokka keeps looking at the both of them, but if he's thinking anything, he keeps it to himself, as Katara asks about specific other members of the group.

"So what do we do now?" Toph declares. Everyone looks at her. "Sorry to interrupt your little reunion, but it's getting late, and Sozin's commit is only a few weeks away. Aang didn't want to make any plans until we found Katara, and well, we found Katara. So, Aang, what are we doing now?"

"Let's make camp here for tonight, it's already getting late."

"And what are we going to do after that?" Toph presses him. She's becoming annoyed with Aang's increasing tendency of putting off decision making.

"I don't know!" Aang says, his voice rising slightly.

"Aang and I need to resume our training," Zuko says. "His firebending isn't where it should be."

Katara sees Aang's stress and steps in, her voice as caring and calming as ever. "It's not safe here, there are wanted posters for all of us all over the Fire Nation. If anyone sees us practicing bending…"

"Wanted posters, sweet!" Toph's excited. "Are they offering a reward? How much for me?"

Katara sends her a dismissive glance. "Why is that important, Toph?"

"I wanna know how much they think we're all worth! Is it the same for each of us? Or are they offering different amounts?"

Katara's voice becomes increasingly commanding. She knows she's got to get the group back on track and she sees Aang's distress. "Let's just set up camp here for tonight, and then tomorrow we'll find somewhere to go so Aang can keep training."

Toph looks annoyed, but she stomps her foot and claps her hands. Immediately, six slaps of earth jump from the ground and form small triangular tents for everyone.

"Thanks, Toph," Sokka tells her. "You're the best."

Toph blushes ever so slightly.

"So, who's cooking dinner?" Sokka asks as he picks one of the tents and throws his bag down. Sokka makes eye contact with Suki and then looks at the tent right next to his, a hopeful look on his face.

As the others all claim their shelters, Katara goes over to Appa and pulls the big back of supplies off his back. Appa lets out a deep, long groan.

"Hi, Appa," she says, scratching him sweetly, "it's good to see you too."

Katara pulls the cooking pot and materials out and brings them over to the center of their camp, where she is surprised to find Zuko already building a small fire.

"You shouldn't have to do everything yourself," he says, taking the pot from her and setting it up above his fire.

"Thanks, Zuko." Katara is really moved. No one else ever helps her with the cooking. She looks around and sees all her friends lounging, laughing. Aang is the only one who notices Zuko helping Katara and he marches over.

"I can help you too!"

"That's okay, Aang," Katara says, pouring the rice into the pot, "I don't think there's anything left to do unless you want to see if you can find us some meat."

"But…" Aang's voice quivers, "I'm a vegetarian."

"I'll see what I can find," Zuko says, slinging his swords on his back. "Sokka, you want to help me?"

"I did the hunting last time," Sokka whines.

"Yeah, and you didn't find anything," Toph laughs.

"It's hard to hunt with just a sword," Sokka protest, but as he sees Zuko straightening his scabbard on his back, Sokka decides not to be outdone. "Fine," he accepts, grabbing his sword too. "Let's go find some meat."

"I'm really glad you're okay, Katara," Aang tells her, trying to start up a conversation.

Toph scoffs in the distance. She's tired of Aang's sad puppy routine. Katara looks over at her, confused.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Because the Fire Nation got you! I was so worried."

"You know I can take care of myself," Katara says, her voice a bit more severe, "and I had Zuko with me."

"Yeah, I know…." Aang remembers how hard Katara was on Zuko when he first joined them. "I just didn't know if Zuko..."

"Zuko helped my brother rescue my father and Suki from Boiling Rock. He's a good guy, and a good fighter, I'm really glad I had him with me," she says with a slight smile.

Aang is not only surprised but a little unhappy to hear this. But before he can figure out how to respond, Sokka and Zuko return.

"Man," Sokka says congratulatory, "you really know how to use those swords!"

"Yes," Zuko says in the same flat voice he almost always uses unless he's angry, "I do."

"We got the meat guys!" Sokka tells the team.

Zuko looks over at him with a side glance and shakes his head. It's clear Zuko was the only one to get the meat.

"Wow, that was fast!" Toph exclaims.

"Yep! Just need to roast this little fella up and dinner will be served!"

Katara's eyes narrow at her brother. She knows he's not going to be the one to do the roasting.

But after the dinner finishes cooking, the group settles around the campfire to eat, and they all realize it's good to be back together again.

"Nope, that's literally all we did," Sokka says, "just look for you guys."

"And hoped you'd see us?" Zuko asks, a bit skeptically.

"Well, I guess, we rather hoped you'd see Appa."

They all laugh. That makes more sense.

"It's good to have you guys back," Sokka says, reaching to pull more meat from the spit roasting above Zuko's small fire.

"Sokka," Katara chides, "you've already had seconds."

"I know, it's good."

"Can you wait until everyone else has had a chance for seconds before you continue stuffing your face?"

"Uhoh," Toph says with a deep laugh, "Mom's back."

Sokka joins her laughing.

"Hey, someone has to think of this stuff!" Katara defends.

"Yeah, yeah," Sokka agrees, returning to his bowl of rice and leaving the rest of the meat for the others.

"Were you able to put up with it for the past couple days, Zuko?" Toph asks.

The question catches Zuko off guard. "Ehh…I don't think…moms are bad, and I also don't think of Katara as a mom, so…" He fumbles over the question.

"Ohh, just give it time, sparky," Toph says, "Katara will mother you to death if you let her."

The group laughs again, but Katara sends Zuko a thankful, maybe even hopeful, look. However, he's as closed off as ever. Katara searches for some of that warmth and light she saw in him earlier, that she shared with him earlier, but he just sits straight and quiet.

The group finishes eating and quiets down. One by one, they all decide to go to bed. Zuko is the first to tell everyone he's tired and that's he's going to sleep.

"I'm not so much tired as bored," Toph tells them, heading to her own self-made earthen tent next.

Aang hangs around a bit longer than he wants to, yawning more and more as Sokka, Suki and Katara keep talking. Katara finally decides she's ready to turn in as well and says good night. Aang jumps up to follow her.

"I'm really glad you're back with us," Aang says, jumping on the moment he's been waiting for.

"Yeah, me too," she tells him, only half paying attention as she yawns. Aang doesn't notice, but Katara is looking over at Zuko's tent. "Sleep well, Aang."

Katara disappears in her own tent, and Aang sulks back to his own.

"Finally, they've all gone to bed," Sokka says, looking over at Suki with a big, excited grin.

When Katara exits her tent the next morning, the group is arguing about what to do next, and Aang is clearly distressed.

"You need to make a decision, Aang," Toph tells him, "what do you want to do?"

"Hey, guys, take it easy," Katara says as she approaches the group. "Try and imagine how stressful this is for him…"

Aang looks up at her appreciatively.

"…He's just a kid, and it's a lot of pressure."

Aang's face falls at hearing this.

"If only we had a map," Zuko says, "if I had a better idea of where we were exactly, I might be able to find a safe place for us to practice. But right now, with Azula looking for us…"

"If only we had a map," Sokka says with a laugh.

"Yeah," Zuko continues, confused.

"It's like you don't even know me at all…" Sokka says with mock injury.

"Well, I don't know you that well yet, really…"

Sokka just looks at him. "Good point." Sokka walks over to his satchel and pulls out rolled paper. "Fun fact about me, Zuko, I love maps."

"Good to know," Zuko says as he flips the paper around and studies it. "So we need to find a place that isn't too far away from the Fire Nation, but where Azula will never think to look for us."

Zuko looks at the map, looks at the mountains and rivers near them, and then back at the map again.

"Alright, guys, I think I've got it."

"Alright, this is it," Zuko says as Appa lands.

"Wow, Zuko," Katara is enchanted, "what is this place?"

"Welcome to Ember Island."

"You lived here as kid?" Sokka asks as he takes in the beautiful surroundings of the tropical island.

"No, not really, we vacationed here as a kid."

"You got to go on vacations as a kid?" Sokka's voice gets higher with amazement.

"Yeah."

"Lucky guy."

"I guess it's not all bad, being the fire prince."

"You're telling me," Sokka says, giving Zuko a friendly punch in the arm.

"I mean, it was still mostly bad. But this place is nice."

"And you're sure we'll be safe here?" Aang asks.

"Yeah. My family would never think to look here."

"This place is a great," Toph says once she's planted her feet firmly on the ground. There's sand, and those mountains over there..."

"This side of the island belongs exclusively to the royal family. We'll have it completely to ourselves," Zuko tells them.

"Perfect for earthbending," Toph says, slamming one fist into the other.

"Perfect for beach parties!" Sokka says.

"A beach party sounds fun!" Aang pipes.

"No, Aang, you need to practice," Katara tells him, taking him by the shoulder softly and looking at him seriously.

"I guess we can work on some waterbenind," Aang says, "while everyone else plays on the beach?"

"No, Aang, you're already a really good waterbending. Do you want to practice with Toph or Zuko today?"

Aang's face falls again.

"The day is already half gone," Zuko says, "firebending is always strongest in the morning. Why don't you work with Toph today?"

"Okay," Aang says glumly.

"Alright, twinkletoes, you're with me. Let's go over to those rocks over there, and see what you got."

"Did anything happen, why we were gone?" Katara asks her brother and Suki.

"What do you mean?"

"Aang just seems really down."

Sokka shrugs.

"Sozin's comment is only a few weeks away," Suki says, "I think he's just worried."

"He doesn't have to be," Zuko says resolutely, "he's got us, and we'll make sure he's ready in time."


	9. Ember Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning to the Ember Island, things unfold a bit differently for Aang and his friends. Suki gets some much deserved screen time, and the group learns more about Zuko's painful backstory than they ever expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello All! In this chapter, I'm returning to some of the main events in the Ember Island Players episode of the TV show. It might make the most sense to think of this chapter as an extension of that episode, rather than a rewriting or replacement of it. Not everything flows together 100% smoothly, but I hope it all still makes sense.
> 
> One major thing I am changing in my story from the actual TV show is that I think Zuko's mom is dead. It just doesn't make much sense for someone as awful as Ozai to banish his wife, or how that would work in a real-world scenario. I'm going to post my extended thoughts on the situation at the bottom of this chapter for anyone who is interested, but for this story's purposes, Ozai had her killed instead of banished. 

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Three: Ember Island

* * *

Zuko stands across from Katara, each are holding carved wooden blades Zuko has made. Katara's eyes are narrowed and focused, and Zuko is watching her carefully.

"Okay, sun skewer."

Katara swings her blade upwards, her movement is strong and precise.

Zuko nods approvingly. He holds his blade in front of him, as if he were about to fight, "Mantis strike."

Katara knocks her blade across his, hitting it firmly in the middle. Zuko can feel the impact of her blow and again nods.

"Now hawk's perch."

Katara swings her blade into a resting position, so that it's angled backwards over her left shoulder. She swings it too quickly, however, and the wooden blade ends up resting on her shoulder.

"And you just sliced your shoulder open," Zuko walks over to her, holding the blade where it touches her skin.

Katara groans in frustration and lets the sword fall down to her side.

"This is why we practice with wooden blades," he tells her with a soft smile. He pulls his shirt aside and shows her one of the jagged red scars on his shoulder.

She nods and understands how dangerous this can be.

"What's going on?" Sokka says as he walks over to them. Suki is right behind him.

"Zuko is teaching me how to sword fight," Katara says.

"What? That's amazing!" Sokka says genuinely. "Hey Zuko, teach me something too!"

"What?"

"Well, you're teaching Aang how to firebend, and my sister how to sword fight. I want to learn something too."

A mischievous smiles crosses Zuko's lips. He could have a bit of fun with his, but doesn't.

"I don't think so, Sokka."

"How about a friendly sparring match, then?"

"Sure," Zuko agrees.

"Here, Katara, I'll show you how it's really done." Katara rolls her eyes and steps to the side of the courtyard space where they were training.

Sokka pulls out his star-sword and Zuko goes over to his scabbard and pulls out his twin blades.

"You guys are using real swords?" She says, a bit worried.

"Of course," Sokka says, his voice full of confidence. "I should warn you, Zuko, we ran into a famous sword master several months ago…."

Sokka stands across from Zuko and holds his sword in front of him diagonally, so it's pointed up towards the sky rather than at Zuko.

Zuko smiles when he sees this poor form.

"Master Piandao?" Zuko says, swinging both his blades impressively in front of him. "He's the best swordsmen in the Fire Nation."

"Well, you should know that he agreed to take me on as a student. I trained with him for several days."

Zuko takes a step towards Sokka. Sokka steps backwards and grips his sword more tightly.

"I trained with him three times a week from the moment I could first hold a blade until I was thirteen."

Zuko swings his swords impressively again and takes a step towards Sokka.

Sokka's jaw drops and he gulps audibly. He knows he's no match for Zuko.

"Ehh, Suki, you want in on this this?"

"It would be my pleasure," Suki says. Suki takes Sokka's sword from him. She tests his weapons weight and feel in her hands, taking a few seconds to find a grip that feels comfortable for her.

Zuko can tell she knows what she's doing and also that this weapon doesn't suit her. It's heavier and more cumbersome than she's used to, but she can make it work.

"Want to switch?" he asks her.

She's surprised he offers. She would prefer to use his lighter blades, especially since she's good at fighting with both hands.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all. It's been a while since I practiced with a long sword."

"Thanks," Suki says sincerely.

Suki swings the dual swords in her hands with incredibly skill and agility. Zuko is genuinely impressed. _This is going to be a good match,_ he thinks to himself.

Zuko nods respectively to her, and she nods back, and Zuko lets her strike the first blow.

Suki delivers powerful and precise strikes, and her footwork is fast and agile. Zuko is able to use the strength of the long sword to block all her blows, but the weapon's heft impedes him many of the surprising moves Suki has access to with two lighter blades. He remembers why he doesn't like this weapon too much.

Suki attacks him from all angles, and Zuko spends much of the match on defense. She spins around him, swinging high and low as she jumps around him. Suki notices that Zuko is able to solidly block every one of her blows though, and must expend a lot of energy getting more and more jabs in, and it's tiring. She knows if she can't find a way to break through his defense, he'll be able to wait her energy out until she weakens and makes a mistake.

Suki studies her opponent carefully as she continues to dance around him, her blades flying. Zuko swings the long sword from his left to his right, blocking each and every one of her blows and keeping up with her fancy footwork until finally, Suki distracts him with a swipe from her right hand and brings the left blade to his neck.

Zuko knows she's gotten him. They both smile and stop.

"That was a good fight," Suki says, giving Zuko his blades back.

"It was," he agrees and bows to her respectfully.

"Do you know what just happened?" Zuko asks.

"My girlfriend just kicked your butt!" Sokka cheers enthusiastically as he throws his arms around Suki.

Zuko scowls. "Do you know how she did that?" Zuko asks Katara specifically this time.

Katara just shakes her head. There was so much going on in that fight, and they were both so good, she could hardly keep track.

"She realized I don't see as well on my left side, and used that against me. Right Suki?"

Suki is a little ashamed to admit it, but he's right. "Yeah."

Zuko pushes his hair away from his scarred eye, and Katara frowns.

"Fighting isn't only about knowing the right moves or defending yourself. If you want to win, you have to identity your opponent's weakness and use it against them. The first chance you get."

"But Zuko," Katara says, her voice full of pity.

"It's okay, Katara. It's just as important to know your own weakness as well as those of others."

"Oh yeah? So what's Suki's weakness?" Sokka asks as if she doesn't really have one.

"She's smaller and weaker than me," Zuko says plainly, "If she hadn't exploited my left eye, I could have waited for her to tire and got the upper hand."

"He's right," Suki says, though she sounds likes he doesn't really want to admit it.

As Katara and Sokka take this harsh information in, Toph and Aang walk up.

"Whoa, what'd we just miss?" Toph asks.

"Suki just kicked Zuko's butt in a sword fight!" He's still celebrating.

Aang looks at everyone, eyes full of concern. "Why were they fighting?!"

"It was just a friendly sparring match," Zuko tells him.

"Oh man, I'm sorry we missed it," Toph says. "Let me know when there's a rematch."

"Well, Zuko is teaching me to sword fight, so if you want to watch that…"

Aang cuts Katara off. "Why is Zuko teaching you to sword fight?"

"Because I asked him to," Katara's voice is a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"No," Aang says authoritatively, "I don't want him teaching you sword fighting."

Katara moves from beyond annoyed now to angry. "Well, Aang, you don't get to tell me what to do. And whatever Zuko and I decide to do together in our free time is none of your business."

Aang's face falls and Katara storms off.

"Wait, Katara, I'm sorry!"

She doesn't stop or look back though.

"I just don't want her to get hurt," Aang confesses to the group.

Zuko puts his hand on his young friend's shoulder. "I don't either. That's why I'm teaching her."

Aang looks up to Zuko and smiles, faintly, even though something deep down inside of him still doesn't like it.

"It's about noon," Zuko says, "that's a good time of day to practice firebending."

Aang agrees though he doesn't really want to, and Zuko is pretty impressed by his young pupil's abilities this day. Toph sits to the side, one foot rooted on the ground, watching them. Katara eventually came back to join her and watch the guys train. Toph knows she doesn't need to ask Katara if she's okay; she's pretty sure she knows what's going on as she's sensed her friend's heartbeats and blood pressure change throughout the day.

"You've got some fire in you today, buddy," Zuko says as they finish, both bowing to each other.

"Yeah," Aang agrees, still feeling the mix of upset emotions churn inside of him.

_Why does Katara resent his concern for her so much? Doesn't she know how much he cares about her?_

Aang has kept hoping that their relationship would grow into something greater, but it just seems like they're growing apart, and he's desperate to stop that.

"You guys done with your bending?" Sokka says as he walks up to them. His eyes are twinkling and he's got something in one of his hands.

"Yeah," Aang tells him.

"Well, go wash up then, because we've got plans tonight!"

"What are you talking about, Sokka," Katara says as she walks up to him.

Sokka unfurls a large poster as a smile spreads across his face from ear to ear. "We, my friends, are going to the theater."

"The theater?" Toph sounds disgusted. "Why would we want to go to some dreary old play…"

"Because this play, Toph," Sokka says with utter delight, "is about us."

"What?" Almost everyone says in unison, and Sokka shows them the poster.

"The Boy in the Iceberg?" Zuko also sounds disgusted. "By the Ember Island Players?" He sounds even more disgusted now. "They are the worst!"

"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Katara says, "going into town. We could be recognized." She looks specifically to Aang and Zuko.

"Oh, it'll be fine," Sokka dismisses her, "and even more, it'll be fun!"

"I say we go see it," Toph says.

Sokka looks at her appreciatively, but Katara still looks stern.

"Come on, Katara, this is the kind of wacky, time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!"

The group, all wearing fire nation clothing, file into the theater. Sokka has a big smile on his face and his arm is around Suki. Aang tries to pass everyone so can be next to Katara, but Zuko sits down first.

"Hey, can I sit here?" Aang asks.

"There's room on this side," Zuko says, scooting even closer to Katara so Aang has more room on the other side.

"Yeah, but I, um…okay," he says, utterly deflated.

The lights dim, and the play begins.

* * *

[Author's Note: Much of this play unfolds exactly the same as in the show, so I won't rehash every detail. We're going to pick up at the third act, after Toph cheers Zuko up by telling him how proud his uncle would be, and Katara goes to check on Aang on the balcony. Some points I really want to stress here/ sort of feminist rant: in the play within the show, when "Zuko" tells "Katara" he thought she was the Avatar's girl, the real Aang in the audience nods. I think this is important to show that Aang not only really likes Katara, but also that he thinks he has some sort of "claim" to her just because he likes her. He likes her, therefore, she is his. I realize this interpretation might be kind of a stretch, but still, there is a fine line between just liking someone and then assuming they should like you and that you should be in a relationship. It misses that important step of the second person actively reciprocating the feelings back and wanting to join you in said relationship. Secondly, this problem is compounded on the balcony scene. Aang very sympathetically and understandably is upset by being portrayed by a woman. I get that undercuts his budding sexuality and identity as man, and I don't want to dismiss that in my own story, but he kisses her right after she says she doesn't know and is confused. I'm actually really glad they included this moment in the show because when you're young, it's really hard to know how to communicate our feelings to someone else and some people (read: boys) just assume that because they like someone, that someone will like them back. I mean, why wouldn't some boys assume this? Every movie and story and TV show ever has practically taught them this. You're a guy? You like a girl? You're the hero of your story? Well, then, that girl will like you back! But this line of thinking completely undercuts women's feeling and agency, so I'm really upset the story never took the time to explore or address Katara's evolving feelings from this point. Aang kissing Katara right after she tells him she's not sure how she feels is a problem, it might be forgivable, but it still needs to be addressed, and that's the main goal of my story. Ok, end of rant, back to story ]

* * *

Aang takes a seat in the third row next to Sokka when he returns to the theater. He's feeling awful about what just happened with Katara and needs to figure out how to make it up to her.

"I think the invasion is about to start," Sokka tries to whisper into Aang's ear, but he's still laughing from his character's new jokes on the stage.

"Katara," Aang's character says on stage, "You're just like a sister to me."

"Oh, Avatar, you're like the brother I never had!" Katara's character says.

"Hey!" the real Sokka says, "that part's not as funny. I'm a good brother."

The group laughs.

"Do you guys really think we'll defeat the Fire Lord?" Toph's character says.

"Of course we will!" On-stage Aang says. "We have the Avatar!" The actor flies around triumphantly.

"And hope!" Stage-Katara says, busting again into yet tears.

"And full stomachs!" Stage-Sokka says, taking a big bit out of food.

The audience laughs.

The set changes and the group wander around the empty Fire Nation palace.

"How can it be? No one is home!" Katara's character wails.

"Did they out smart us?" Aang's character asks as she tiptoes across stage.

"Impossible!" On-stage Sokka says.

The audience again laughs.

"Whatever will we do?" Katara's character asks.

"I don't know," the Avatar tells her with an exaggerated shrug. "Perhaps all is lost."

"I know!" Katara's character says.

The real Katara facepalms. She can't believe the idiocy of this show.

"Prince Zuko!" Her on-stage actor beams.

"Prince Zuko?" the other actors says in unions. "But he's our enemy!"

"That's not true!" the stage-Katara declares, "Zuko and I fell in love in the caves of Ba Sing Se. I know we can trust him!"

"Okay," the group of actors say, "Let's go find him!"

The real Katara looks over at Zuko with an embarrassed an apologetic face. He gives her a soft and reassuring smile back. This play is awful, but it's also kind of funny.

Katara places her hand down on the seat right next to Zuko's. Their fingers are dangerously close to touching.

"But I thought you like Haru!" Toph's character says as they run off stage.

The real Toph cackles out loud. "I did think you liked Haru! God, this play is great!"

Katara's face just reddens a bit more.

The music gets ominous, and as soon as the actors are out of sight, a large throne is pushed into the light. Orange fabric flutters in the background. Sitting atop of it is Fire King Ozai. The actor is wearing outrageous makeup.

"Father," Zuko's characters says walking towards. "My whole life, all I've wanted was for you to love me."

Not only does Fire Lord Ozai's character laugh, but the audience does as well.

Katara can feel Zuko tense next to her.

"But now I see I will never be worthy of your love, so I've decided to join the Avatar!" The character announces bravely. The audience cackles and boos.

"For this treachery you will be punished!" The Fire Lord stands up and points threateningly at his son.

The Zuko on stage does not back down. "What are you going to do to me? Burn the other half of my face?" The actor points dramatically to the already scared side.

"No," the Fire Lord says coldly. "I'm going to kill you like I did your traitor of a mother. Azula! Bring me his head!"

Azula's character hops on the stage and pursues him.

"Ahhh!" The actor runs off, screaming like a little girl.

The audience goes wild. They all love this.

But in one stage box, everyone stares at their friend, horrified.

"Did that really happen?" Sokka asks.

"Oh my god, Zuko," Katara says.

"Dude, I forgive you, for everything." Sokka continues.

Zuko doesn't respond to any of them. He just gets up, tosses his cloak over his face and leaves.

Katara moves to follow him but Aang stops her, grabbing her hand, but quickly lets go. "I think he might need some time, Katara."

"Yeah," Toph echoes softly. "That's so messed up."

As the group processes what they just learned, the crowd is still uproarious. Zuko's characters runs around the stage like a frightened child as Azula pursues him.

"Take that! And That!" She tosses rolls of blue at him.

"Please! No!" Zuko's character begs pathetically.

"Get him! Kill him! Traitor!" People in the crowd yell.

Finally, a bolt of Azula's blue hits him, and the on stage Zuko and he falls, screaming "Forgive me!"

Every one in the audience laughs except for the real Katara, Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extended thoughts on Ursa: 
> 
> I think he had her killed, so here is that backstory (of which, many parts are the same as in the show/ comics): Iroh flaked when his son died, and Ozai saw it as his opportunity to claim more power for himself. However, their father, Azulon, was enraged that Ozai would suggest such a thing and demanded Ozai take his son's (Zuko's) life as punishment. Ozai agreed not willing to disappoint his father, but when Ursa finds out, she's horrified. Ozai tells her they can have more children, but she refuses and tells Ozai she knows a secret poison that can kill Azulon undetected. Wanting nothing more than the crown for himself, Ozai agrees to Ursa's plan, kills his father with her poison, and takes the throne while Iroh is still out of the picture. The Fire Nation loves and welcomes their new, powerful Fire Lord. However, not long after ascending power, Ozai is unnerved by Ursa's loyalty and love for their son. He becomes afraid she might one day use her poison against him to give Zuko the throne. Also, there have been some whispers from the fire mages—some people find Azulon's death suspicious; he was, after all, very healthy. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Ozai lets Ursa take the blame for Azulon's death has her executed for treason. This act is what makes Iroh snap out of his funk and return to the capitol to care for his nephew. Zuko is never told the full story and carries deep shame and grief about his mother's death. He loves her but is told by his father that she was a traitor and forced to hide all the grief and emotion he had for her. Zuko tries to put on a brave face and be a good son, but obviously, fails. His father becomes increasing disappointment to his father, with his inferior firebending skills compared to Azula and his perceived softness about his mother. Ozai takes the first opportunity he can to get rid of Zuko (same as the show), and banishes him rather than executes him in case he ever needs him as an heir.
> 
> I think adds deeply to Zuko's trauma and problems. As a child and as the Fire Prince, Zuko doesn't think his mom died as a result of a cruel decision by his father but rather as a natural consequence of her actions (Actions he doesn't really know about or undersand). I think this thought process also goes hand in hand with a lot of Zuko's problems with his own scarring and banishment. He never thought his father was cruel or wrong. His father was the fire lord, he could do no wrong by virtue of his title and power. Zuko believed he had to do what was required of him to please his father and make things right. And while Zuko, at this point in my story, has realized he no longer wants to please his father, I'm not sure he's accepted that he didn't deserve what happened to him in the past.
> 
> Anyway, that's quite a lot. so I'd love to know what you guys think! 


	10. Shadows of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Gaang learns about Zuko's scar and mother, he's forced to face deep and dark emotions he's hidden from for a long time. But with his new friends around, he might be the better for it.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Four: Shadows of the Past

* * *

The group leaves the theater as quickly as they can. The ending of the play was no better than the rest of it. All of their characters met deaths that were equal parts tragedy and comedy. Though this group couldn't see the humor in any of it after what they'd just seen.

"Come on, I want to find Zuko, we need to make sure he's okay," Katara tells them.

"He's definitely not okay," Sokka says, and Katara shoots daggers at him. "What? It's not that I don't want him to be okay, but after what we just saw…"

"It's so sad," Suki says.

"No wonder he's…" Toph begins, even she's at a loss for words with what they just learned.

"He's our friend and we need to find him," Katara says resolutely, and she begins walking ahead of the group to go find him.

When they get to the house, Katara directs everyone to search for him.

"Toph, you go look near the mountains where you practice earthbending. See if there's a cave or something he could be hiding in, a path he's just walking…"

"Sure."

"Aang, you search these forests, any place you guys may have practiced firebending."

"On it," Aang says, picking up his glider.

"Great. Suki, Sokka, you both search the house. Look everywhere, in all the rooms, he could be hiding. I'm going to go look on the beach, okay?"

"Yeah," they all agree and head off.

Sokka and Suki walk into the house.

"Zuko?" Suki says good naturedly as she beings to look around. Sokka goes into the family room and pulls a couch into the main hallway. "What are you doing?" She asks him.

Sokka situates the sofa right in the middle of the main hall. "Look, if Zuko doesn't want to be found, I don't want to be the guy who finds him. When he's ready to come out, whenever that is, we'll be here for him."

Suki squeezes Sokka's hand affectionately. She thinks this is a great idea, and the couple sits down, fingers entwined, and waits.

Toph marches towards the rocky mountainous area to the right side of the house, sensing with her feet to see if anyone is close. She's relieved when she doesn't feel anyone nearby. She's not really sure what she'd say if she found Zuko. Even she knows that her usually tactic of tough love isn't appropriate here.

Aang has equally mixed feeling about finding Zuko. Aang is ashamed to admit that he'd spent most of his time thinking about Katara and how to win her over, and never gave much thought at all about what happened to Zuko before, why he did what he did, why he changed. Honestly, Aang just needed a firebending teacher, and Zuko seemed liked he really wanted to help.

Aang resolves to be a better friend to Zuko, and he's thinking about how to do it when he hears a mad, horrible slashing sound deep in the forest and finds Zuko attacking a very large old tree with his swords.

Katara, unlike her other friends, openly and loudly screams Zuko's name as she searches she shoreline.

"Zuko!" she bellows, as she rides the waves up and down the coast, eyes searching frantically for any sign of him.

Katara feels like every fiber in her is aching for him. She understands as well as anyone the horrors of losing their mother, but learning that Zuko's father not only had his mother killed and that he also scarred him…

Tears spills down her cheeks as she remembers every time Zuko talked about making up for his past mistakes, trying to do better, to make things right. She hates herself for all the harsh, horrible things she said to him about his struggle to do what was right in the past, how he didn't deserve the groups acceptance or kindness.

Zuko didn't struggle to do what was right in the past, he was always trying to do what he thought was right to get his father to love and accept him.

She starts crying openly as she realizes this.

"Zuko," she screams desperately again and again. She stops, sliding off her wave and approaching the shore when she sees someone standing there. She's about to scream Zuko's name again when she realizes it's Aang.

"Aang, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be looking in the forest!"

"I did, and I found Zuko," Aang tells her.

"Where is he? Is he okay? What did he say?"

"I didn't talk to him."

Aang didn't say anything not only because he didn't know what to say to Zuko, but because he also knows he isn't the one who should say it.

Katara is staring at Aang with her large, beautiful blue eyes, and Aang has to make himself look away.

"Come on, Katara," Aang says as he leads her towards the woods. "We all know you're the one who should talk to him."

Katara is surprised to hear this but nods and follows Aang.

They walk quietly into the forest, and they can hear Zuko before they see him. Katara's eyes widen as she hears gargled grunting and savage hacking sounds. It isn't long before they see Zuko again, thrashing away at a large tree with his swords.

Aang just shrugs, not understanding, and quietly walks away.

Katara silently approaches Zuko. "Zuko?"

She has to call his name a few times before he notices her.

"It's fine, Katara," he says as he continues to slash away at the tree.

"It doesn't look that way to me."

"I'm fine," he says through grated teeth, his voice stronger but strained with anger.

"No," she says, looking at him directly, "you're not."

He glares at her, his eyes full of anger and spite, but despite all his dark feelings, he can't hold her gaze.

"Alright, I'm not fine. Can I be angry then? Or sad? Are either of those okay with you?"

"Yes. I think you should be very angry. And sad. And a lot of other things too."

Katara walks slowly towards him, her arms outstretched and open at her side.

"I just don't want you to be alone, Zuko."

For some reason, this comment hits Zuko so hard it hurts. He can feel it breaking in his chest. He wants to hate her for saying it but can't. He makes a strained, soft sobbing sound as he slams both his swords deep into the tree. He used so much force that they're now both stuck.

"I don't want your pity, Katara," he says, trying to pull one of his swords out. He uses both hands and yanks with all his effort, but the sword won't budge.

Zuko curses and kicks the tree.

"This isn't pity, Zuko. I lost my mother too, I understand…."

"Oh, what could you possibly understand?" He screams at her, his voice full of contempt. "Your mom died to protect you, my mom was killed because she was a traitor!"

Zuko's last memory of his mom comes flooding back to him. How she woke him in the middle of the night.

_Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you._

Zuko fights to push those memories from his mind. He tries to remember how his father and Azula, everyone in the Fire Nation it seemed, said she was a traitor. How they celebrated her death, and told Zuko needed to prove himself, be sure not to show any signs of his mother's weakness. Be a strong and dutiful prince to the Fire Lord.

But as Zuko recalls his mother's words, remembers everything he knows about her, knows about his father, it's harder and harder for him to deny what he knows deep down is true:

His mother died to protected him too.

He'd rather believe she was a traitor than shoulder the guilt he feels for this. He doesn't want her death to be his fault, but he can no longer deny that it is.

Zuko begins hitting the tree with his bare hands, throwing his fists at it until they start to bleed.

Katara watches him, her face awash with pain and horror. "I understand, Zuko…"

"You don't understand, she's dead because of me! Because of what she did for me. It's my fault, Katara! It's all because of me!"

"It's not your fault, Zuko," Katara tells him, again and again. She takes his hands in hers, forcing him to stop pummeling the tree, and holds him in her arms.

"Yes it is," he says, finally sobbing now. "She's dead because of what she did for me."

"She's dead because your father killed her. She's dead because your father is a monster. It's not because of you. It's not your fault. None of it is your fault."

Zuko tries to protest, tries to refute everything Katara tells him. He wants to tell her to stop, to shut up, and go away.

"Please," he finally manages. He tries to follow it with _don't say that, please leave me alone._ But he's never able to get those words to leave his mouth.

"Please," he says, again and again, but he always chokes on what follows.

And Katara just holds him, guiding him down to sit at the base of the tree, wrapping her arms around him. "It's not your fault, Zuko, it's not your fault at all."

She says this, again and again as Zuko cries, shedding every tear he was never allowed to before. And Katara says this, as she holds him, some of Zuko's guilt and anger wash away from him. There is still something ugly, dark and twisted deep down inside of him, and he's still filled with so much hate, so much anger, but for the first time, in a long time, more of that hate if focused towards his father than himself.

* * *

Zuko awakens with a jolt early the next morning. The sun is just starting to rise, and the sky is a dusty purple color.

Katara is curled up on the forest floor next to him and wakes up when she senses him move. Zuko watches her and feels a wave of self-consciousness flood over him.

"Katara, I…uh…."

"You don't have to say anything, Zuko, not unless you want to," she tells him as she gets up, standing next to him. She reaches out and squeezes his hand.

Zuko fumbles over his words for a long time but finally manages, "Thank you, Katara."

She doesn't say anything and just hugs him. He hugs her tightly back and doesn't let go.

"We can talk about it, though, if you want."

Zuko pulls away from her and shakes his head.

"It usually helps," Katara offers, with a slight smile and supportive glance.

"It's okay," he tells her, as he goes over to the tree and pulls his swords from the trunk. It takes all his strength and effort, but since he's more focused this morning, he's able to dislodge them. As he does, he sees all the marks he inflicted on it the night before. There are so many deep grooves and notches from his swords. He put his hand next to them, acknowledging the damage his did, almost apologizing for it.

"Did you have something against this particular tree?" Katara asks him.

Zuko shrugs. "It was either this or burning the whole forest down."

Katara is actually impressed that Zuko had that much control and foresight even in the midst of all his agony.

Zuko sheathes his swords and the pair starts walking. Katara leads them to the beach. The sun is rising in glorious shades of pink and orange, and she senses Zuko's breathing shift. It becomes slower, deeper, more calm.

"You know, my mother always loved to watch the sunrise. When we vacationed here, as kids, she'd try to make us all get up early some days to come watch."

Katara just looks at him and smiles.

"Azula and my father didn't always come, but I did, even though I complained so much. I'd ask her why we couldn't just watch the sun set. On this island, you could do both. I'd ask her what was so special about the sun rise? And she told me…"

Zuko begins to choke up again and buries his face in his hands.

"…she told me she loved the promise of a new day. There was so much possibility, and she could look forward with hope and happiness…"

Zuko is able to get ahold of himself and looks at Katara.

"I wonder how many of her days were actually happy."

He kicks the sand angerly and begins to walk away. Katara follows him as they head to the shoreline, walking right where the ocean meets the sand. The small waves wash over their feet and pull back, only to return again and again.

Zuko is surprised at how peaceful and soothing he finds it, this ancient and powerful rhythm of the sea. He looks at Katara and realizes he shouldn't be surprised by it at all. If he's learned anything from her, it's how powerful water can be.

They keep walking, and he begins talking, more and more. Another memory from Ember Island, moments when he thought his family was happy, moments when, looking back, he now knows they weren't. He talks about Azula's impressive firebending, how hard he tried to match her skills, how he clearly failed. Those are his clearest memories of his father—admonishing him for his poor bending, berating him for his poor fighting. Zuko remembers hearing him, _No son of mine…_ He remembers how his mother would find him, comfort him. _But don't let your father see you cry,_ she warned him with a sad face. _Don't ever let him see you cry…_

Zuko tries to sort through all that happened, trying to understand.

"I don't know," he tells Katara, who just listens to everything he says, "Azula said my grandfather demanded he take my life when my father asked to become heir to the throne…"

A part of Zuko still doesn't want to believe this, but he can't deny it is probably true.

"…But then my grandfather died and my father became Fire Lord, and things seemed good, for the first time in a long time, for a few months, everyone seemed so happy…"

Zuko shakes his head, the thoughts troubling him. He was twelve, and he was finally getting really good at sword fighting and firebending. He even beat Azula in a match for the first time. His father looked impressed, his mother looked proud.

"…but then, one night, my mother woke me up, she told me everything she'd done, she did to protect me. And I never saw her again…"

Zuko chokes up again.

"…My uncle came back and took me and Azula away from the capitol. When he brought us back, they told me she was dead, that she was a traitor, and we weren't allowed to ask any questions about it."

Zuko buries his face in his hands again, wiping away his tears.

"Your mother loved you, Zuko," Katara tells him.

He isn't certain about much else, but he knows that part is true. His mother loved him, and he loved her so much too.

"Yeah, she was probably the only person in the world who ever love me."

"That's not true," Katara says, giving him another hug.

And for the first time in a very long time, Zuko feels something bright and hopeful inside of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! And, as always, I'd love to know what you think! Does this chapter work for you? What do you think of Zuko and Katara in it? Also, I tired to plant a few seeds of character growth for Aang in here too, and would love to know what people thought of that. 


	11. May the Best Element Win!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Aang gets better and better at all forms of bending, Sokka innocently asks Aang which element he thinks is best, causing a heated discussion to break out amongst the group and a serious sparring match between the four benders to see which is the greatest element after all.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Five: May the Best Element Win!

* * *

They walk along the ocean for most of the morning and finally decide to head back when their feet hurt and stomachs rumble.

"You ready to go back?" Katara asks him.

"Yeah," Zuko sighs. He's worried about facing the others, but he knows he has to do it.

Sokka and Suko are still asleep on the couch, and Zuko and Katara are both confused about why it's in the middle of the hall. They just exchange curious glances and shrug. They head up the stairs towards their respective rooms.

They reach Katara's first, and when they get there, Zuko turns to her, "thanks again, Katara. I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done for me, and if there's anything I need to apologize—"

Katara just wraps him in another big hug. Zuko is surprised, but likes it. He hugs her back, and his strong arms squeeze her extra tight this time. Katara likes the way this feels too.

"You don't have to thank me, and you certainly don't have to apologize for anything."

Zuko nods and bows, and Katara laughs. _He's always so formal_ , she thinks, and she inclines her head, ever so slightly, before turning into her room.

And Zuko walks to his room and Aang watches, having looked out of his room when he heard their voices. He was going to say something, but when he saw them embrace, he just slinks back into their room.

Zuko is exhausted and passes out as soon as he hits his bed. Katara, however, can't turn her mind off. It replays again and again so much of what she just learned, every detail pulling at a new heart string each time. She washes off, changes her clothes, and tries to lay down, but cannot rest, so she eventually gets up and goes to the kitchen. She's not surprised she finds chores there that need to be done and is happy for once since it gives her something to do.

She's in the middle of washing their pots when Sokka comes in. He grabs and apple from the fruit bowl and takes a big bite.

"Everything okay?" he asks her.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Great. Do we, uh, need to do anything?"

Katara shrugs. "I think that's up to you."

Sokka just takes another big bite and nods. "Okay. You making lunch? I'm starving."

Katara glares at her brother for a moment but then agrees to the task. "Sure, what do you want?" She is happy to have something to do.

As the scent of food fills the house, the other members of their group file in.

"Sokka, I did all the cooking, you can at least set the table!"

"Alright, okay, it was just a joke!" he says, grabbing a stack of bowls and taking them to the table.

"Do I smell lunch?" Toph asks as she strolls in.

"Yep!" Aang tells her. He's already seated at the table, ready to dig in.

Toph stomps her foot, scoping out the room. "Is, uh…."

"I think he's sleeping," Katara says, knowing exactly what Toph wanted to ask.

"Okay," Toph says, "that's good, I guess." And she takes a seat next to Aang.

Sokka sets the table for six, even though Zuko hasn't come down yet. And the group falls into easy conversation. Sokka is trying to explain a crazy idea of his to create a device that picks coconuts from trees.

"All I'm saying is, it isn't easy climbing those trees, grabbing coconuts, and it's be much more efficient if we had some kind of arm thing…"

"An arm thing?" Katara raises a skeptical eyebrow. She's heard about her brother's invention ideas before.

"Yeah, to reach up and, well, reach them…" He mimes the action with his hands, though it hardly helps.

Zuko stands outside the room listening, preparing himself for awkwardness when he enters. He tries to think of the right thing to say, the best way to announce himself when Toph blurts out.

"Is that you, Zuko? I saved you a seat!"

Toph had sensed him standing there, felt his heart hammering nervously away, for minutes.

Zuko walks in, clearing his throat. "Um, yeah, thanks."

Toph pats the cushion next to her and Zuko sits down. He looks around the table nervously, but everyone seems normal.

"Pass me your bowl, and I'll serve you," Katara tells him, a kind look in her eye.

Zuko hands his bowl to her. "Thanks."

She just smiles and winks at him.

"I bet Zuko would understand," Sokka says, directing the conversation to him now. "You know how difficult it is to get coconuts?"

Zuko blinks, confused for a moment. Of all the questions he thought he'd be asked as he prepared himself to try and answer, this was not one of them.

"Um, I guess…"

"Yeah, so if we had an arm like thing…"

Sokka mimes his idea again.

"Sokka, do you have any idea how large an 'arm-like thing' you'd need to grab coconuts?" Katara says, giving her brother a harsh look.

"Katara, can you just have an open mind?"

"I'd be bigger than you!" she tells him, "you wouldn't even be able to carry it!"

Everyone at the table laughs, even Zuko, and the conversation follows naturally from there.

When they all finish eating and cleaning up, Sokka follows Zuko from the room.

"Hey, Zuko!" Zuko turns around and faces Sokka. "Hey, I, um, I'm your friend, and, uh, as your friend I just want you to know, that if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Zuko says.

"But, as your friend, I feel like I should also tell you, that if you ever need to talk about anything, you should probably talk to Katara. She's way better at this stuff than I am."

Both laugh. "Thanks, Sokka. That's is good to know."

They look at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither being good at this stuff nor knowing what to do. Finally, Sokka playfully punches Zuko in the arm. "You're a good man, Zuko, and I'm glad you're on our team."

"Me too, Sokka, me too."

Over the next few days, every member of the group has their own little heart to heart with Zuko, and things pretty much go back to normal. Part of him is shocked at first that nothing has changed, but part of him realizes also that a lot has. They are all closer now, and Zuko somehow feels freer with them all knowing about his past. No one ever brings up the topic again until Zuko is helping Katara clean the dishes after dinner one night.

"Zuko, can I ask you as question?"

"Yeah, I guess." Zuko doesn't know what to expect, but he can tell from her voice it is serious.

"Can I ask you about your scar? How you got it?"

Zuko realizes he never got to that part of the story and nods.

"Yeah, it was about, I don't know, maybe six months after my mother died. I was trying to do everything I could to please my father, to show him I was a good and worthy fire prince, so I asked my uncle if I could go to a war meeting one afternoon. And, um, in that meeting, I spoke out against this one general who wanted to send a bunch of new recruits on some suicide mission to distract the enemy…"

Zuko almost laughs but can't. He knows it's not funny, but it is crazy just how wrong-headed he'd been about the whole situation.

"…I thought I was showing my father what a good prince I was, standing up for my people, but, he decided I had been disrespectful by speaking out of turn, and commanded I battle in an Agni Kai. Agni Kai's are these honor duels we do in the Fire Nation. God, I was so stupid," Zuko says, shaking his head, "I remember thinking I'd beat that general and my father would be so impressed, he'd love me more than ever. But, uh, it wasn't the general I had to fight. It was my father himself. He said I'd disrespected him by speaking out in the war meeting, not the general, and demanded I battle him…"

Zuko's voice doesn't falter or break as his says this. He's come to terms with his emotions about his father and tells the story straight.

"…I begged him, I apologized, and I refused to fight him. But my father thought that was another sign of weakness, another sign of disrespect, so he burned me…"

Katara's face fills with horror but Zuko just shrugs. He honestly can't even remember the pain.

"…and he banished me, telling me not to return home unless I had the Avatar. So I went off looking, determined to capture the Avatar and regain my honor, my proper place at home…"

"Oh, Zuko, that's so awful."

"Yeah," he says, he knows that now. "You know, for the longest time, I tried to believe that everything wrong and ugly about me came from my mom—the traitor. I tried to push it all down, deny it, to be the person my father wanted me to be. But now I know, the best parts of me, the only good parts of me, they're from her."

Katara just nods. She's finished scrubbing another dish, and Zuko takes it from her and starts to dry it.

"You helped me understand that, Katara," he tells her, taking another wet dish from her hands to dry. And as he does so, he remembers the last thing he mother ever said to him:

_No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are._

Zuko makes a silent promise to his mother that he never will again.

* * *

The next few weeks are filled with rigorous training and preparing for Sozin's comment. Aang does his best to avoid making plans, but he becomes incredibly adept at firebending and earthbending, and Toph and Zuko's conversations often concern just how much he's progressed.

This conversation becomes so common, in fact, that one night at the dinner table, Sokka innocently asks:

"So, Aang, now that you're a master of all four elements, which would you say is the best?"

Everyone's eyes immediately turn to Aang, and he feels the pressure of answering this question in front of a waterbender, earthbender and firebender.

Aang gulps and a bead of sweat forms on his brow.

"Oh, um, I don't know…They are all good," he deflects.

"Liar!" Toph spits at him, "that's not what you really believe, and I know it!"

"Go ahead," Katara tells him, her voice as motherly as ever, "you can be honest. Which element do you think is best?"

"Well, I…I guess I am partial to air."

"Just because you're partial to air doesn't mean it's the greatest!" Toph challenges.

"Air barely even exists," Zuko says, disgusted. "How can you think it's the best?"

"Yeah, which element is best?" Toph continues.

"I don't know guys, they're all good!" Aang sound desperate.

"Yeah, but you can't live without water," Katara tells him, "no one can."

"You can't live without earth either, dummy," Toph adds.

"Yes you can, you could live on a boat."

Toph facepalms. She can't believe what she's hearing. "But all the water is on some sort of land, in the end."

"I lived on a boat," Zuko agrees, "I did it for years."

"You mean, the land is under some sort of water," Katara's voice rises, as if this example clearly asserts water's superiority.

"I don't care how you want to say it, what it all comes down to in the end is earth, right Aang?"

"I mean, I think you need air just as much as earth and water to survive. The only thing you don't really need is fire."

Zuko's voice cracks. "You don't need fire? How can you not need fire? You need it to cook, to stay warm!"

"There are all sorts of animals that live fine without fire," Aang tells him.

"Maybe animals can live without it, but people can't. There's no civilization without fire…"

"Yuck," Toph says, "You fire nation people are so obsessed with civilization…"

"That's a good point," Sokka tells Toph.

"Maybe it's because we have one! Remind me again what you have at the South Pole?"

"He's got a good point too," Sokka says, a bit jokingly.

Despite Sokka's attempt at levity, the conversation goes nowhere good after that point. And after several minutes of bickering, he finally has to step in and take control.

"Alright," he says, and then "ALRIGHT!" he screams, getting everyone's attention. "Clearly, you all are just going to have to duke it out to see which element wins…"

The next day, the group stands on a large stretch of land where a rocky cliff meets the sea. Sokka has drawn a large square perimeter in the sand, and he continues the plan he outlined for them the night before. Zuko, Katara, Toph and Aang all stand on one corner of the square.

"…Alright, so we're all here to see which element is the strongest," Sokka reiterates the rules they all agreed to last night. Suki is standing behind them with a large chalk board to keep score.

"…We're going to draw straws to see who goes first, and the winner gets to pick their opponent. Whoever gets the most points, wins."

"Okay," everyone agrees.

"And remember, Aang, you're only allowed to use air here, you try any of your Avatar tricks, and you're disqualified."

"Yeah, I remember," Aang grumbles.

"Okay," Sokka walks to the center of the square holding a fist full of straws. The four benders all approach him. "Let's see who goes first!"

They all pick one from his hand. "Toph!" Sokka says excitedly. "Who's your first opponent?"

"Alright, Puddle Lover, let's you and me have a go."

It takes Katara a moment to realize Toph has selected her.

"Puddle lover? Is that me? Oh, you're going down…earth lady." Katara knows she's bad a nicknames.

"Okay, ladies, each of you to your respective corners…" Sokka says.

Katara and Toph walk back to the square's perimeter. Katara is glaring at Toph through narrow eyes, and Toph just slams her balled fist into her other hand.

"Okay, when Suki sounds the gong, you can begin. May the best element win!" Sokka says. He looks around at just how serious the four benders are and adds, "and, I guess, try not to destroy the island or anything why you're at it. Alright, Suki?"

He looks at his girlfriend and she sounds the gong.

Katara immediately calls longs waves of water and swirls them around her arms and whips them towards Toph.

Toph avoids her, however, but pulling the column of earth beneath her up in the air, and now towers several feet above Katara.

Katara summons a large wave, but as she tries to ride it, she realizes the sand around her feet is gripping her feet. She adds more water to the mixture and tries to pull herself out of it, but the sand keeps pulling her down and she begins to sink.

Katara's face turns red and she glares at Toph, who is still perched on her little ledge about twenty feet above Katara with a big smirk across her face.

Katara finally calls an incredible amount of water to her, so much so that the sand can't keep hold of her feet, and she shoots up on a large wave to meet Toph. Katara sends a huge splash towards Toph, but Toph diverts it with another column of rock, and the water is pushed around her. Toph begins slicing the column, sends chunks of rock flying at Katara, who's now turned her wave to ice so she can slide along it. Toph senses Katara's ice path and calls up another column of earth that smashes into the ice trail and breaks it apart. Katara is caught off guard and falls hard on the ground.

Suki, Sokka, Aang and Zuko all grimace.

Katara fumes as she looks up at Toph who still towers above her on her rock. Katara calls a massive amount of water to her, but when it reaches her, she doesn't rise with it. Katara again realizes the sand has gripped her feet and she can't separate herself from the ground. Katara desperately create little whirlpools, trying to push the earth away from her feet, but is unable.

Katara screams and shoots a wave of water at Toph.

Toph just shoots her rock column higher to avoid Katara's first wave. It crests at Toph's feet. She smirks again and then drops herself several feet down to avoid the second wave, which shoots over her entirely.

Katara then focuses on calling more water to her to dilute the earth mixture Toph is gripping her with, but for all the new water she's able to call, Toph just adds more earth, and before Katara knows it, she's about waist deep in a muddy, sandy mixture that just keeps growing around her.

"Should we call it?" Sokka asks the others, starting to get concerned.

"I'd let Katara decide," Aang says.

But the sludge Katara is stuck in just keeps growing. It's halfway up to her chest now.

"I'd call it," Zuko says seriously. He doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

Suki slams the gong, and draws a point on the board by Toph's name.

"Round one goes to Toph!"

"What! No!" Katara screams, but she's almost completely immobile now. Only one of her hands is free.

Toph laughs wildly as her rock column slowly descends to the ground. "Victory is mine!"

"Yes, it is, Toph, now let her go." Sokka says. Katara is still stuck in the mud.

"Right." Toph releases the earth around Katara and returns the rest of the rocks to their original position. Katara pulls a bunch of water around her and cleans herself off, mostly. There's still a fair bit of mud on her clothes and her hair as she stomps off the court.

"Who's your next opponent?"

"Señor Grumpy Pants, it's your turn."

Zuko's gawks. "Seriously? Grumpy pants?" He's more amused than angry, but he still can't believe she just said that to him. "My pants aren't grumpy," he says as he marches to his corner of the court. He stands tall and confident.

"Yeah, well, the rest of you is," Toph goads him.

"Okay," Zuko says, "Before we get started, I just want to remind everyone that they can seriously get hurt with fire, so—"

Before Zuko can finish, a rock slams into his chest and the wind is knocked out of him.

"Oouf!"

"You can get seriously hurt with any elements, Mr. We said we were fighting for real. Don't pull your punches."

"Okay then," he says with gritted teeth. He wasn't sure he'd be able to fight any of them, especially this twelve-year-old girl, using his full strength, but now he decides to give as good as he gets.

Zuko glares at Toph but bows, the way he was trained to do before any duel or sparring match. Toph doesn't notice though, and stands at attention, her body still wired from the fight with Katara, waiting for the sound of the gong.

It strikes.

Zuko runs towards Toph, pulling a fist full of fire with him. Toph immediately begins shooting up blocks of earth unbalance him, but Zuko is incredibly agile. He flies from one rock column to the next in an incredibly feat of acrobatics. He keeps moving forward, and no matter if Toph pushes the next piece of earth up or down, he's able to adjust and his feet never falter. As he jumps up, down and around Toph's everchanging rock structures, he throws great blasts of fire towards her. And some are getting closer to Toph than she'd like.

"He's really good," Suki says from the sidelines, impressed.

"Hey!" Sokka says, not liking the sound of her voice or the look in her eyes. But he can't deny it. "You know," he tells them, "I'm actually really proud we did as well as we did against him, in the beginning."

"Yeah," Both Katara and Aang agree. Zuko in action is certainly something to behold.

"It was hard to appreciate, you know, when he was coming after us…but now…"

"Yeah," they agree again.

Zuko continues to shoot around the rocks. He noticed Toph's tendency to try to trap Katara's feet with earth, so he doesn't stay anywhere for more than a few seconds. He jumps, dodges, and swings himself over the rocks, rising to up to Toph who's again perched herself on a tall column. Every time Zuko gets a good look at her, he sends a blast of fire her way, and she has to go on the defense, pulling a rock in front of her as a shield. Every second she does this, he's able to advance and get a bit closer.

Toph angrily drops one of her rock shields and feels around for Zuko. She can sense him scaling up one of her rock columns, darting from ledge to ledge. She starts to drop them, letting some fall to the ground and others rise up higher. Zuko catches ones she shoots upwards, and uses it to propel himself to her level, landing on the cliff side in an elegant flip.

Toph senses his stability and smiles. She calls rocks up around his feet to grip him. But Zuko expected this and doesn't care. He's as close as he needs to be. He calls forth his fire with one arm and shoots it at her in a great blazing punch.

A line of bright fire barrels towards her, and she calls up a huge hunk of rock to shield herself. Zuko pours this fire at her for a few minutes, but when she doesn't relent, he takes his other hand and points it at her, and his amount of fire doubles.

It's like a burning orange wave and it flows all around Toph's rock shield, which now covers her front, top and sides. She's sweating behind it as his heat starts to get to her. She can hear the roar of his flames and they show no sign of stopping.

"Should we call it?" Sokka asks again.

But before anyone can answer, Toph surrenders. "Alright, alright, you win!"

Zuko immediately stops his fire, and Toph drops her rock shield, which is smoking from the heat.

"You did well," she tells him, waving weakly in his general direction.

"As did you," he says respectfully, though he's still panting from the effort.

"Yeah, yeah," she says as she walks off the court, returning the rocks to their general position.

"Alright, air, I think it's your turn?" Sokka says to Aang.

Aang looks to Katara, to the others, and nods. He walks out to the court and stands across from Zuko.

Zuko has resumed his original position. Both bow respectfully at each other and await the sound of the gong.

"Oh, right," Suki says, forgetting, until Sokka looks at her. She grabs the mallet and bangs.

Zuko throws a bolt of fire at Anag, but Aang just sends a powerful gust of wind at him, returning his fire in his direction. Zuko has to spin to get away from it. He runs again towards Aang, shooting burst after burst of fire. Aang nimbly dodges each one and tosses nearly every burst back at Zuko with waves of wind.

Zuko jumps, spins, and flips to escape the fire that Aang sends back to him. He starts shooting fire from his feet during some of his more impressive kicks, and Aang isn't able to keep up with all the blasts. He forms a wind scooter and spin out of Zuko's range.

Zuko pants heavily and looks annoyed as he searches for Aang who constantly flits around. Being on the offense is exhausting. He runs towards Aang, jumps, and throws a massive wave of fire at him. Aang summons a whirlwind and sweeps the fire back to Zuko, causing the fire to swirl around him in a great, burning spiral.

Zuko expends a lot of energy to keep the fire from burning him as the intense flames spin around him. Aang's air is only feeding his fire and it grows more and more intense.

Zuko finally has to shoot two blast downwards to rocket himself upwards, where he spins and flips away from the whirlwind of fire. He lands gracefully, with one foot extended to the side and one of his hands touching the ground, but part of his shirt caught on fire during his escape. He tries to pat the flames out for a minute and then angrily rips it off of him.

Toph smiles as he does this, not because of what she sees but because of how Katara reacts. She can feel her friend's heartrate quicken.

"Like what you see, Katara?" Toph says with a smirk.

"What, no, it's getting dangerous," Katara says, blushing deeply.

Zuko stomps towards Aang who continues to flutter away from him. Zuko is annoyed, not only because he is exhausted, but because the told Aang again and again during their training not to rely only of defense and evasion.

However, whether or not Zuko likes it, Aang's plan seems to be working. Zuko runs around some more, tossing waves and bolts of fire at Aang, but he just keeps spinning himself to safety and sending great gusts at him. In one move, Aang's force is so strong, Zuko is flipped over backwards and lands hard on his face and stomach. He grumbles as he gets up and begins again, but after several more minutes this, Zuko is done with the fight.

"Alright, I forfeit," he says, panting heavily and bending over. "I can't beat you if I can't fight you."

But Aang is proud of himself for avoiding a direct fight.

"Alright," Sokka says, "That's one point for Aang, one point for Zuko, and one point for Toph. Aang, are the most recent winner, you get to pick who's next."

Katara, not having any points to her name yet, is itching to get back in.

"Can I go?"

Aang doesn't really want to fight Katara but agrees.

Steely eyed and determined, she takes her position in the corner of the square. Aang stands opposite her.

As soon as Suki hits the gong, Katara throws a great wave of water at Aang. Aang propels himself with his airbending and jumps far away. Katara then grabs one of his arms with a lasso of water and pulls him down. Aang is astonished by her strength, and he chops her water-rope half with a great gust of air and escapes.

Katara immediately sends more lengths of water at him, but Aang shatters each and every one with a blast of air and spins away from her. Katara grunts, frustrated, and tries to think of a way to attack. She sends a great wave at him, but he just repels it with more gusts of air. One blast is so strong that Katara flies backwards several feet. She calls a wave of water up to catch her. When she's back on her feet, she's soaking wet and looks angry. Katara drives the wave towards Aang, riding atop of it, and throwing streams of water at him. Aang deftly dances away for a while, but as Katara keeps coming after him, he finally blows a lot of the water away from her and she falls hard to the ground.

Katara grunts again, and she calls a circle of water around her, it spins wildly, and any time she gets close to Aang, she pulls out a whip of water and try to get him. She's able to latch on a few times, pull Aang down or backwards, but he's always able to spin away. Similar to his style with Zuko, he just pushes most of what she sends at him back to her, and Katara is splashed again and again in the face with her own water.

Getting more and more frustrated as Aang keep dodging her, she calls two incredible walls of water towards him, and Aang looks astonished as both crash down on him from opposite direction. He immediately begins spinning, forming a strong bubble of air around himself, and he spins contentedly and safely in her massive wave of water.

Everyone would agree that Katara is demonstrating an impressive amount of power and strength controlling that much water, but it's getting her nowhere in terms of defeating Aang.

She eventually can't keep it up any longer lets the water fall. As it does, Aang spins gracefully out of his bubble and lands lightly on the ground.

This does nothing but annoy Katara further, and she again sends spurt after spurt of water at him. Aang easily knocks each one down by either chopping it in half or blowing it back at her. She finally resorts to shooting ice shards at him, and for the first time, Aang looks genuinely concerned. He's able to knock them all away from him though and sends a great gust of wind back at Katara, who again goes flying backwards towards the sea. This time, however, she isn't able to call a wave up to catch herself falls with a great thud.

Aang frowns and looks concerned but is still en garde. Katara tries to push herself up but falls back down.

"Call it," Zuko tells Sokka, and he runs over to make sure she's okay.

"Aang wins another round!" Sokka screams, and Suki writes another point by his name.

Zuko reaches Katara and offers a hand to help her up but she just slaps it away. "I'm fine," she grumbles as she pulls herself up. She looks a bit shaky but seems okay.

"Katara, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Aang also runs over to her.

"Don't apologize!" She says angrily, but when she sees his hurt face, she softens. "Look, we were fighting for real, and you won. You were supposed to give me your best, and I'm glad you did."

Katara means this, she's just mad she lost again.

Aang just nods, not quite understanding.

"My turn?" Toph says excitedly.

"Yep," Sokka says, looking at the board. Toph has one point from her victory over Katara, Zuko has one for his victory over her, and Aang has two after defeating Zuko and Katara. "If you beat Aang, Toph, you and he will be tied for two points."

"Sweetness, I'm okay if I tie with the Avatar." She says, pounding her fist into her hand.

Aang hangs his head, not nearly as excited to fight her as she is him, but he returns to the square and takes his position.

Suki sounds the gong again, and their fight begins.

Toph immediately sends blocks of rocks hurling towards Aang, but he's able to knock each and everyone as. As she distracts him with this, she opens up a hole in the ground and he stumbles, hard, falling into it.

Aang wasn't expected these tactics and shoots her a dirty look. Toph just smiles gleefully. As soon as Aang regains his footing, Toph rockets the earth beneath him up in the air and Aang goes flying. She laughs madly again, and Aang is able to use his airbending to softly land.

Now annoyed, Aang conjures a great whirlwind and sends it spiraling towards Toph. She's not able to outrun in, and gets yanked around and around for a few minutes before Aang decides to drop her. When he does, she's completely disoriented and starts blasting rocks in every direction. One even lands dangerously close to Sokka and Suki.

"Hey!" Sokka yells.

But Toph doesn't relent. She tries to shoot more rocks again, but again, she can't tell quite where they're going as her mind is still spinning from the whirlwind.

"Toph!" Sokka yells.

"Okay, okay," she says, "you win." And she falls into a seated position as the world keeps spinning around her.

Sokka walks over to her and helps her out of the ring.

"Just point me towards Aang," she says, "if I hurl I want it to be in his direction."

Aang glowers and looks apologetic. But Sokka slaps him on the back, congratulatory.

"And that's another point for Aang," Sokka says as he writes it on the board, "I guess air really is best!"

"But I didn't get to fight Zuko!" Katara says.

"Yeah, well, Aang has three points, so even if you fight Zuko and he wins, he'll only have two…"

Katara glares at her brother. She angry she didn't win a single round.

"Everyone else got to pair off, I want to fight Zuko," she says again.

Zuko can see the determination in her eyes. "Okay," he agrees.

"Alright," Sokka agrees, "Fire vs. water. Let's see who wins!"

Zuko walks out to his side of the square, but Katara marches like she's on a mission. When she turns to face Zuko, he again bows respectfully, as he was always taught to do. This just annoys Katara for some reason. She barely inclines her head back to him. Zuko can tell how badly she wants to win, and he calmly takes a striking position.

Katara can feel her blood coursing through her, she's ready to go. As soon as Suki hits the gong, she pulls a great circle of water around her. Zuko smiles slightly, he can tell she's learned from her previous two battles but not immediately striking out. Zuko brings both his hands in front of him and sends a line of fire right at her. Katara pushes her water in front of her and blocks the beam. She then shoots a stream of water and Zuko, and he jumps out of its way, as he does, he throws a surge of fire from his feet across the ground over to Katara. She's just barely able to rise out of its path on a wave of water. Zuko then sends several punches of fire her way, but she easily deflects all of them.

She sends a small wave of water to Zuko's feet and pushes him up in the air. He's caught completely off guard but flips himself into a strong, landing position. From here, he jump kicks another great wave of fire at her, but she smacks it away, and pursues him again with her little wave.

Zuko has to run from it, but he's proud she's found a smarter way to fight. Instead of focusing all her energy on one large form her opponent can easily deflect, she's filling the entire square with just a little bit of water so her opponent can't escape. She tries to grip his feet with her water, locking him into ice, but every time she does, he easily melts it, so she gives up.

She walks in one direction, and he mirrors her movements, waiting for her to strike. Katara huffs, frustrated, as she tries to think of something that will best him.

Zuko has one arm balled by his side and the other outstretched, ready to counter whatever she throws at him. He knows she's getting angry he's not taking the offense, but she's the one who wanted this fight, he thinks, and he wants to see what she's got.

Katara sends several thrashes of ice and water at him, but Zuko swings his one arm in front of him like he's pounding something into the ground. It creates a great blaze of fire which he controls like a wall in front of him. Every time Katara's waters try to pass it, they just sizzle into steam.

"Is she mad at him?" Aang asks Sokka, watching Katara throw wave after wave of weaponized water at Zuko.

"I think she just wants to win," Sokka says, but as he watches Katara's relentless attacks, he's really not sure.

Katara groans in frustration and tries to think of something that will help her defeat Zuko. She then remembers the day he sparred with Suki, and how Suki was able to get the other hand by taking advantage of his weaker eyesight on his left side.

Katara takes a deep breath but commits to it. _This was the type of lesson Zuko wanted her to learn, right?_

She calls water around both her arms, she shoots one blast to the right side of Zuko's fire wall and turns it to ice. She lets it speed just a little bit faster than the one she creates to the left. She puts a big block of ice on the right side and sends it hurling towards Zuko, and she jumps on the left side.

When she's reached around Zuko's fire wall, he's looking to the right side, throwing a great blast of fire at her block of ice. He spins immediately to his left, but Katara's already got him. She pushes all her water towards him and calls back the water from the ice block he just melted on the other side, creating a spinning vortex around him. Her spiraling water continues to circle him, climbing up to his arms. Zuko's firewall vanished and he's under her control.

Sokka calls it.

"Katara wins!"

She immediately drops all her water and Zuko lands softly on the ground.

"I mean, Aang still technically wins…but Katara got this round."

"Good fight," he tells her.

"Thanks," she says.

They start to walk back to their friends, but something is bothering Katara. She was able to overtake his arms too easily at the end. _There were a few moments, he could have done something_ , she thinks. And after everything she'd seen him do today, he was quick and agile.

"Hey, Zuko…" she says, turning towards him. "You didn't let me win, did you?"

Zuko pauses and looks her directly in the eye. "You beat me," he tells her, "fair and square."

"You swear?"

"On my honor," he tells her, with another little bow.

A big smile breaks across her and she runs ahead to their other friends. Zuko just smiles softly as he watches her go.

They head back to the house, all exhilarated by what they'd just seen and done.

"Maybe you don't need to be the Avatar," Sokka tells Aang, "if airbending is the best."

"Airbending is all about evading and defending," Aang says happily, "if you can avoid a fight for long enough, you can usually win."

"That's great," Sokka says with a laugh.

As they continue up to the house, Zuko grabs Aang's shoulder and pulls him aside.

"Do you really think that, Aang?" Zuko asks.

Aang isn't sure what's going on, but he nods.

"Then tell me, Sozin's comment is only a week away. How do you think that's going to help you defeat my father?"

Aang's face falls and he gulps loudly. He doesn't have an answer for this.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thanks again for reading! I'd love to know what you all think about the writing of the fight scenes here because it sure took a lot of words, and I've never really written too many before. Do the visuals work? Was the action engaging? Did character come across? Or was it too much? Did it get boring? Did you want to skip over any parts? I'm actually a professional writer, so I always appreciate any feedback on the writing quality as much as the character development, plot, etc. But mostly I just hope you all enjoyed it and the much-needed fun after all the seriousness of the last two chapters.


	12. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sozin's Comet nears, more and more problems trouble the Gaang as they are forced to make important decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just a heads up, I have the characters here wrestle with the topic of killing and death/killing a bit more directly than they do in the show, so, if there are any really young readers or people who are uncomfortable about this topic, it's here. I think I still deal with it pretty much the same way the show did, but am more obvious about.
> 
> Also, there's some implied off-screen romance going on, so if any of my readers are super young or super sensitive to that, just a heads up.
> 
> I'd maybe rate this chapter 12 and up? Again, nothing explicit happens on screen, but there's some allusion to these things off screen.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Six: Decisions

* * *

"Alright, where is he?" Sokka says as he takes a seat at the dining room table in the beach house on Ember Island.

They confronted Aang the day after their fighting match, telling him they needed to decide how to take down Ozai. Zuko stressed again the horrible plan his father had for the day of the comet, and Aang agreed they needed to figure out how to stop him. Aang asked them for a few days to think about it, and they agreed to take three days to come up with the best ideas they could about how to defeat the Fire Lord.

Those three days had passed, and Zuko is ready. He'd compiled everything he knew about the Fire Nation, his father, his sister, and their plans. He'd been sitting at the table for several minutes, back straight and at attention, before Sokka came to join him, carrying a large pile of scrolls and notes. Suki follows close behind him.

"Have you seen him?" Sokka asks Zuko.

Zuko shakes his head no.

Sokka drums his fingers on the table impatiently as Toph comes in.

"Hey guys," she says a bit glumly. There's no escaping the severity of their topic.

"Hey," Sokka says with a deep breath. He slouches back in his chair and looks around. Suki puts a supportive hand on his and he turns to her sweetly.

Katara comes in a few moments later. Toph and Sokka both let out a deep sigh this time, and Zuko notices there is more than nerves in the room, but tension.

"Is everything okay?" he asks.

"Is Aang here?" Toph says, her voice annoyed.

"Not yet," Zuko says, though he's not sure why he's stating the obvious.

"He's not coming," Toph says.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asks. "We agreed to decide on a plan today…"

"Aang doesn't have a good track record about making decisions," Sokka says.

"Hey," Katara says softly.

"You know it's true, Katara," Toph says. "He avoids everything…"

"He's just a kid, you don't know how stressful this is…" Katara defends.

"I think we all know how stressful this is," Sokka says gruffly.

"He's the same age I am, and he's also 100 years older than me, there's no excuse." Toph crosses her arms in front of her. "He's also the Avatar!" She throws her arms up, upset, as soon as she remembers this.

"How many times have we seen him run from his problems? When we first met him, all he wanted to do was go sled on penguins and find hopping llamas or other silly things like that. At the North Pole, he went to the spirit realm to find the nicest way to stop the Fire Nation while Zhao killed Yue…" Sokka's voice gets harsh and almost breaks.

Katara feels sad, she never realized her brother thought of it like that.

"You remember how he was before the Eclipse Invasion. And right after that, when we landed at the Western Air Temples, what did Aang do when we tried to talk to him about making a new plan…?"

Katara looks down and remembers, Aang jumped on his glider to run away from their conversation.

Zuko wishes he wasn't surprised to hear this, but he even remembers how Aang wanted to quit when they met the Sun Warriors and had to face the dragons. _How many times had Aang asked him to turn back?_ Zuko tries to remember.

"He'll be here," Katara tells them, but five, ten, fifteen minutes pass. "I'll go find him," she finally says.

Katara leaves the room and finds Aang only a few minutes later. He's outside, brushing Appa.

"Hey Katara!" he beams.

"Hey Aang," her voice is low and melancholy.

Aang notices and looks at her.

"We're all waiting for you, inside."

Aang stares at her blankly for a second.

"To talk about how to take down Ozai…Remember we said we'd talk about that today?"

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot," Aang tries to say this brightly, innocently.

Katara just huffs, disappointed. Aang feels a pang of sadness hit his chest.

"Alright, well, join us inside as soon as you can. We're all waiting for you."

Aang gulps and nods. Katara turns to go back inside before he can say anything else.

Aang continues brushing Appa for a few more moments and scratches his best friend's nose. "It's not fair," he tells him, pressing his head to his, "I never had a choice in any of this."

Appa lets out a deep, long cry. Aang pets his friend a few more times and heads in.

He can feel the tension in the room as he sits down.

"Hey guys," he says a bit meekly.

"Aang," Sokka says, his tone curt and cold. "Thanks for joining us."

"Yeah," Aang says, "So, Fire Lord Ozai…"

"Is going to burn half the Earth Kingdom to the ground if we don't stop him," Zuko says.

Everyone looks to Zuko and gets serious.

"Right, so we need to stop him," Aang says, a bit weakly.

"Yeah," Sokka says, "so, what are you thinking?"

"Well," Aang tells everyone, "I'm thinking we want to get him alone, we don't want anyone to hurt who doesn't have to…"

"What we don't want is half the Earth Kingdom to burn," Toph says severely as she cuts him off, "our top priority shouldn't be saving the lives of Ozai's goons."

"I agree," Sokka says.

"Just to be clear," Katara adds, "we're talking about killing people."

"Yes," Toph, Zuko, Suki and Sokka say collectively.

"Okay," Katara says, a bit sheepishly.

"How else did you think we'd end this?"

"I don't know…I just…" She looks to Aang. "I agree with him, we don't want to hurt anyone we don't have to."

"Well, obviously!" Sokka says, annoyed they're having this part of the conversation. "I'm not going to stick my knife in someone's eye if I don't have to. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the numbers. If one guy is going to kill ten other guys, I'm killing that first guy. His death won't weight on my conscious."

"You don't know that, Sokka. You've never had to take another life before," Aang says earnestly.

"Well, then, his death will weigh less on my conscious than the knowledge that ten other people are dead because I was too big a coward to stop it."

Aang's eyes harden and he sends a nasty look to Sokka. But Sokka doesn't stand down.

"I'm not a coward!" Aang says, his voice suddenly full of fire, "I'm just not arrogant enough to assume I have the right to take other person's life."

"Sounds to me like that's just a round about way of saying coward," Sokka says dismissively.

"And I'm not dumb enough to assume the only way to stop someone is by killing them!" Aang's yelling now.

"Come on, guys," Katara tries to calm them, but neither listen.

"Okay," Sokka says, meeting Aang's intense glance for the first time, "Let's say Plan A is we walk up to Ozai and nicely ask him to surrender. Now, on the off chance he doesn't agree to do that, what's our Plan B?"

Aang knows Sokka has a point, he just doesn't like it. He hangs his head, sullen.

"You all could distract him while Katara and I encase him in ice?" Aang says, his voice small again, but hopeful.

Zuko just shakes his head. "Even without the comet, he's the most powerful firebender I know. He's stronger than Azula. And crueler. I don't think ice would stop him."

"Hey, Azula," Aang says, "any chance she'd help us?"

"Have you met my sister?" Zuko asks incredulously.

"What? You changed sides!"

Zuko looks at his young friend sympathetically.

"Yeah, I don't know Aang. Maybe they could, but I'm not sure we have that kind of time. And even if we did…" Zuko doesn't know if it's fair of him to say this, but he does. "I can honestly tell you that I never once in my life wanted to hurt anyone. I did what I had to do and I did what I thought was right, but I never ever wanted to hurt anyone. Azula likes hurting people, she'd rather be feared than respected. And my father…well my father…"

Katara squeezes Zuko's hand as he tries to say this.

"He killed his father so he could take the throne from his brother. He had my mother killed so that no one would ever find out, and he did this to me before banishing me," Zuko points angrily at the scar on his face.

Everyone in the room audibly gulps and looks horrified.

"He's a monster," Zuko tells him.

"But he's still a person!" Aang defends.

"Yeah, a horrible one."

"I just don't want to assume killing Ozai is our only option," Aang says.

"Either way," Sokka says, "he needs to be stopped, and it's your job to stop him," he says, looking at Aang. "So, you just let us know how you want to do that." His voice is matter of fact.

"Killing is wrong," Aang says, almost pleading.

"Yes, it is," Toph agrees, "but letting thousands of innocent Earth Kingdom families die is more wrong than stopping one evil man."

Aang look grows hard and angry. He feels like everyone is against him.

Katara tries help. "Look, Aang, we know it isn't going to be easy, that's why were—"

"Why you're what, Katara? What exactly are you trying to do?"

"We're trying to help! We all chose to be here with you, some of us making great personal sacrifices to do so, to help you, and—"

"Yeah, you all had a choice, but what choice do I have? Nobody ever asked me what I wanted…" Aang huffs and walks away.

Katara gets up to follow him, but her brother grabs her hand. "Give him some time, Katara."

"Well, not too much," Toph says, "we don't have that much of it left."

Zuko and Sokka start making plans, and Katara is pretty sure they both enjoy taking lead. She stays and listens, giving her input, for about an hour when she decides to go find Aang.

"Better you than me," Toph tells her.

She searches all over for him, around the beach, through the forest, even up in the sky, but she doesn't see any sign of him. As the sun sets, she's surprised when she sees him sitting alone on one of the upper floor balconies at the beach houses.

Katara quietly comes up the stairs and approaches him.

"Aang?" she says softly.

He's sitting with his back to her and it looks like he's meditating.

"Hey, Katara."

"Hey," she says.

Aang opens his eyes and turns to her.

"How are you?"

Aang lets out a deep sigh.

"I'm really sorry this is so hard on you," she tells him, "I know it's not fair and it's not what you want."

"Yeah, well, since when has what I wanted ever mattered," Aang grumbles.

Katara is hurt to hear him say this. "Aang, what you want matters…."

"No it doesn't," Aang says, his voice defeated.

"How can you say that?" She goes over and looks at him, "I care about what you want…"

"Well, Katara, I want to be a normal kid, I want to have friends and have fun…"

Katara is about to tell him he has friends and that they've had fun together, but before she gets to, Aang pushes forward, saying what he knows he shouldn't.

"…and I want you to be my girlfriend! I want to, I don't know, go on a date and kiss and do whatever else boyfriends and girlfriends do!"

Katara takes a step back. She wasn't expecting to hear him say this, though now that she has, she's not surprised. She remembers how he kissed her before the invasion and after the play. How he told her he wanted to be with her, and how she asked him to wait for her answer.

"Aang, I'm sorry…"

"I know you said you were confused and that you didn't know what you wanted. But Katara, I know I want you. And I've known it for the longest time." He stares up and her earnestly, "Can't you just trust me, Katara?"

Katara fights back tears as she looks down at him. She feels awful, awful that she can't tell him what he wants to hear, awful that she can't give him what he wants from her, awful that she doesn't even know why. She knows he's done so much and carries such a huge burden.

"I can try, Aang," she says, hoping it's the right answer. "But I need you to try too. Stopping Ozai is really important."

"Yeah," Aang grumbles. Stopping the Fire Lord is one of the furthest things on his mind. "I know."

He takes a step towards Katara, hopeful, but she steps back.

"That's great, Aang. Why don't you keep thinking about it then and let us know what you want to do."

She quickly leaves the room, and Aang kicks the floor. He knows exactly what he wants to do, and it has nothing to do with fighting Fire Lord Ozai.

Zuko and Sokka spent most of the afternoon going over many possible plans to reach Zuko's father and stop him. After discussing things for a few hours, they deiced to stop for the day, but Sokka asked Zuko to draw some sketches of the palace's layout as best as he could remember.

Zuko had spent the past hour drawing up plans for every main part of the palace as well as any other important building in the capitol he thought might help.

He carries the bundle of papers under his arm as he walks to Sokka's room and knocks on the door.

"Come in!" Sokka says in a sing-songy voice.

Zuko pushes the door open and walks in. Almost immediately, he flies out of the room and slams the door closed.

In the second between these two things happend, a high pitched yelp and freighted eep that neither of the young men would ever admit to saying are heard in the room.

"Gaaa! I thought you were Suki!" Sokka says.

"No, not Suki," Zuko says, trying to shake the image of what he just saw from his mind as he stands outside the door.

"Just give me minute," Sokka yells again, and Zuko can hear something crash down in the room. Sokka groans.

"Eh, I can, um, come back later," Zuko offers.

"No, just a minute!"

"Take your time," Zuko says as he hears the sound of several more items collide in the room, and after a few minutes, Sokka opens the door, hastily, but fully, clothed.

"Hey Zuko," Sokka says, trying to play it cool. "What's up?"

"Hi," Zuko says flatly. "Here are the, uh, the blueprints you wanted."

"Wow, you go those done quick." Sokka begins to flip through them.

"Yeah." Zuko doesn't know what else to say.

"These are great. Who knew you were such an artist!"

Zuko has never thought of himself as an artist, and don't know what to say to that either.

"Right, well, I'll, er, leave you to it then," Zuko says very awkwardly.

Sokka gets a knowing look in his eye. "Thanks, man" he says, slapping Zuko on the shoulder appreciatively and disappearing back inside his room with the scrolls of paper.

Zuko slowly walks away from Sokka's room, and as he does, he passes Suki.

"Hey Zuko," she says sweetly and causally.

"Hey Suki," Zuko says with a small smile, but he quickly leaves that floor.

The evening is settling in, and Zuko walks out to one of the top balconies to enjoy the night air and try and clear his mind. He's surprised when he gets there when he realizes Katara is already sitting in the corner of the balcony, and he's even more surprised when he realizes she's crying.

"Katara?" he says softly.

She's curled up on a bench in the corner, face pressed into her knees and arms around her legs. She turns to him, startled, and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, I mean, no, I don't know," she says, making herself smile. "It's just, uggg, why is everything so hard?"

"Um, that's just life, I think," Zuko tells her.

Katara smiles for real this time and lets out a little laugh.

"Zuko, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he says, sitting across from her.

Katara unfolds herself and faces him.

She tries to articulate her question but realizes she doesn't even know what she wants to say.

"Zuko, can I ask you…as a…can I get your perspective on something?"

"Sure."

"As a guy?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." Zuko wasn't expecting, and his voice falters a bit, but straightens and looks serious.

"Thanks," Katara says. And that's all she says for a while. She eventually buries her face in her hands and lets out a frustrated groan. "Uggggg…You know what, never mind. I'm just going to talk to my brother."

Zuko doesn't have any idea what's going on with Katara, but he knows Sokka doesn't want to be disturbed anytime soon.

"Okay, I, uh, I just wouldn't do that, right now."

"Why?"

"I think he's, um, he's busy."

"Okay," Katara says, her voice very skeptical.

"For the next, I don't know, hour or so, at least."

Zuko isn't even sure what he's saying, but as Katara stares at him curiously, he hopes it's the right thing.

"But you know, Katara," he continues, trying to make it better, "you can ask me anything."

"Thanks, Zuko," she says, standing up. Zuko stands up with her.

Katara stretches, walking over to the balcony railing and looking into the dark night. She lets out a deep sigh and wipes her face again and again.

She feels so guilty about what she said to Aang. She thought she said the right thing, trying to make things better. But in the time she's spent thinking about her conversation since, she's pretty sure she's just made things worse. But how can she tell Aang she doesn't feel about him the way he feels about her, the way he wants her to, right before he as to battle the Fire Lord? Right before the most important moment of his life?

Zuko can tell she's still crying. He's wondering if he should say or do something when she finally turns to him.

She makes herself smile again even though a few tears are falling silently down her cheeks and stands awkwardly for a moment.

"Actually, Zuko, there is one thing I want to ask you," her voice breaks a bit as she tries to hold back her feelings. All the guilt and pressure and confusion mounting inside her. "Can I have a hug?" She sounds incredibly vulnerable as she says it. "I'm sorry if you don't like hugs, but I just really need—"

"I like hugs," Zuko says and walks up to her with outstretched arms.

Katara presses herself into him and he holds her tightly. Zuko wasn't really sure he liked hugs when he said it. He is not a touchy-feely person, and hugs were not a big part of his upbringing, but as he holds Katara now, he realizes it is true. He does like hugs, and he'll hold Katara for as long as she wants him to.

Katara really likes the way this feels, and she stays in his strong arms for several minutes, feeling safe, secure and free from all the worries that plagued her before. But she finally pulls herself out.

"Thanks, Zuko."

He nods, watching her carefully, trying to figure out what's wrong. He knows it has something to do with Aang, with their disagreement about the battle plan, but Katara doesn't give him any more information than that.

She smiles at him again even though her face is sweet but etched with sadness, and she leaves quietly, leaving Zuko with the balcony to himself.

Katara wanders the house for a bit. She goes to the kitchen, looking for a chore to occupy her mind, and is surprised to see that all the dishes are clean and everything has been put away.

 _There's hope for Sokka yet,_ she thinks to herself.

She tries to organize their food stores for a bit, checking their supplies and making sure everything is stored properly, but this task offers her little escape from the questions gnawing at her.

She needs to know what is worse: does she tell Aang that she doesn't have feeling for him right before the most important battle of his life? Or does she wait until after? Running the risk of misleading him and giving him false hope?

Once all the baskets of food have been straightened on their shelves and sorted by how often they are used and their amounts, she leaves the kitchen in search of an answer.

Katara stands outside her brother's room and knocks on the door.

She hears soft, muffled noises from inside.

"Sokka?"

Her brother lets out a long, anguished groan and mumbles something.

"Can I talk to you?" she says loudly to the door. "Little sister to big brother?"

Sokka is quiet for a few more moments, but then says, "What is it, Katara?" his voice is pained and sharp.

"It's…" she wants to tell him it's important, but the more she thinks about it, it's not something she wants to talk to her brother about. "You know what? It can wait."

"You sure?" Sokka's voice is suddenly full of glee.

"Yeah," she says, backing away from his door and eyeing it as the muffled sounds resume. Katara has a pretty good idea what's going on in there, even if she doesn't want to think about it.

"That's great, Katara! You're the best…You're the best…"

Katara wanders the house for a bit. She tries to make herself go to her room to sleep, but can't. She avoids the hall with her bedroom in it every chance she gets and finally finds herself standing outside Zuko's door.

It's getting late and everything is quiet, but she knocks.

"Yeah?" Zuko says, his voice foggy and sounding half asleep.

Katara immediately feels bad and regrets her decision to talk to Zuko so late. She is about to walk away quietly when Zuko opens the door. He's shirtless, only in loose pants for sleeping, and his hair falls wildly in front of his face.

"Katara?"

She waves at him, suddenly embarrassed.

"Were you sleeping, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you…"

"No," Zuko's lying, but he remembers how upset Katara was earlier, and he doesn't want to send her away. "You're fine, do you want to, uh, come in?"

Zuko stands aside and lets her into his room.

When they first arrived at the beach house, they all got to pick their own rooms. Since it was built for the royal family, there were lots of wonderful rooms to pick from. Katara has never slept in so fine a bed her whole life. But she's surprised when she realizes how small the room Zuko picked is. It's very simple and bare, with only the most basic of furniture in it and a small, single bed pushed against one wall.

"This is your room?"

Zuko just kind of shrugs. "It was a servant's room."

"Why'd you pick this one?"

"It's one of the few places I don't have any memories of." He tells her plainly.

Katara nods. She understands that.

Zuko is beginning to regret his decision though, as there isn't really much room for the two of them to sit. Zuko lets Katara sit on his bed, and he pulls a small stool and sits across from her.

Katara is silent for several moments, and she's beginning to realize how awkward it is, how she must seem crazy, and she knows she needs to get a guy's perspective on what she should do about Aang.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Zuko and Katara both are equally surprised at this question. Of all the things she was thinking about asking, this wasn't on of her questions. She's not sure why it just came out of her mouth. And of all the things he thought she might ask him, he never expected this.

"Oh, eh, yeah," Zuko says, scratching his head as he shifts in his seat. "Briefly."

Katara hopes he'll reveal more information, but he doesn't, and she now has to figure out what she really wants from him.

"How did you know you liked her?"

"Well, the first girl, her name was Jin, and she actually asked me out. This was in Ba Sing Se when my uncle and I were in hiding. I guess I don't know really if I liked her, I mean, in any special sort of way, but for whatever reason, she seemed to really like me.…I only went out with her a few times, though…"

Zuko starts to get embarrassed. He doesn't even know why he's bringing Jin up.

"So I guess that doesn't really count," Zuko says, self-conscious he spent so much of his adolescence single-mindedly searching for the Avatar rather than trying to be a normal boy.

"What happened?" Katara genuinely wants to know.

"I couldn't give her want she wanted, more commitment, more attention, more answers…God, she would ask so many questions…"

Zuko remembers how stressed out he used to be before seeing her, but he was always in a better mood after their dates.

"She was nice though, and I didn't want to hurt her, so I put an end to it pretty quickly."

Katara just nods, listening.

"And then there was Mai…"

 _Mai_ , Zuko thinks, she definitely counts as a girlfriend. He feels a strange mix of emotions as he remembers her.

"…she was the daughter of a high-ranking Fire Nation official, I knew her as a kid, and she was a friend of Azula's…"

"Wait!" Katara can hardly believe it, "the girl with the knives?"

"Yeah," Zuko admits, fondly remembering her formidably fighting skills.

"You know she tried to kill us, like, several times."

"She wouldn't have killed you," Zuko defends. But he sees Katara's point. It's one of the many reasons they aren't dating anymore.

"Anyway," continues, "we, uh, we reconnected after what happened in…"

Katara knows what he's talking about. After he joined Azula and attacked Aang in the caves of Ba Sing Se.

"It's okay, Zuko, I'm not mad about it anymore."

Zuko just sighs. Even if Katara isn't mad about it, he's still ashamed of what he did. To them. To his uncle. There's still so much he has to make up for.

"Right, so after Ba Sing Se, I don't know, we just started hanging out."

"How'd you know you liked her?" Katara asks genuinely.

"Uh, she's smart, she's strong, she's capable, and she does whatever she wants, which is, not always a bad thing…" Zuko smiles as he remembers. Even after everything, there's still a lot he likes about Mai. "And, for whatever reason, she seemed to like me."

Katara notices this is the second time he's brought this up. She wonders why he's so surprised girls would find him attractive and want to be with him. _Afterall, he's a prince, an amazing bender, a talented fighter, and so handsome_ , she finds herself thinking.

"But anyway," Zuko starts recalling their many arguments, "we liked each other, I think, but we cared about very different things. The closer I got to my father, the more I realized I couldn't be what he wanted me to be, do what he wanted me to do…"

Zuko remembers one specific conversation with her, when he was trying to tell Mai how troubled he was feeling, how he didn't think what his father was doing was right.

"What are you even talking about, Zuko? You're the Fire Prince, you can do whatever you want."

Zuko grew frustrated with her. Why didn't she understand he wasn't talking about what he could do as the Fire Prince, but what he should do?

"Why do we call the palanquin bearers over and we can make them carry us over to firefly lake at double speed," she said, rolling over to him with twinkle in her eyes.

As Zuko remembers, he thinks this is the moment he knew it was over. He just couldn't pretend it was fun to harass others anymore, couldn't pretend not to care about what was happening, couldn't do nothing if it was in his power to stop it.

The next day, he wrote Mai a letter telling her their relationship was over, that he was leaving the Fire Nation and going to join the Avatar.

"…I didn't want her to get hurt," Zuko tells Katara, "when I turned against my father and left the Fire Nation, I didn't want my actions to reflect badly on her."

Katara considers what he's just told her. "So, would you say love is about putting the interests of the people you care about before your own?"

"Yeah, I guess that's part of it," Zuko admits, even though he's not sure he'd use the word love to describe his past romances. Or that Katara should even listen to him, he's really not an authority on healthy relationships.

Katara nods, but Zuko can't help but notice she looks sadder than ever.

Katara process what Zuko has told her with everything else she knows about relationships and thinks she has to put Aang's feeling before her own, try give him what he needs, support him through this as best she can…

"Katara," Zuko says, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Hmmm?" She says, her mind still deep in thought.

"It's not supposed to make you sad," Zuko says.

"What?"

"A good relationship, it's about caring for someone else, but you're supposed to be happy doing it. If you're not happy, I don't think it works."

Tears begin falling down Katara's face again, and she gabs Zuko into a big hug, so thankful he'd just put into words the problem that had been plaguing her.

He's a bit caught by surprise, but he holds her back for several minutes.

"Thank you, Zuko," she says, wiping her face again. "I need to go, um…"

"I know," Zuko says with a soft smile. He realized this has something to do with Aang. He'd long ago noticed the little torch the Avatar carried for Katara, and it'd become increasingly clear that Katara did not reciprocate his feelings.

Katara just smiles, thanks him again, and leaves to go find Aang and tell him that she loves him, just not the way she wants him to, and that she's sorry to say it, but she'll do whatever he needs her to defeat Ozai.

However, as Katara wanders the house, she finds no sign of Aang and decides to talk to him in the morning.

Only, she won't find him in the morning either because Aang had watched her walk to Zuko's door and grown incredibly angry when she went inside and didn't come back out after several minutes.

Aang watched her, his anger intensifying the longer the door stayed closed, until he finally stormed off and headed towards the ocean.


	13. The White Lotus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the group can't find Aang, they go searching for him in the Earth Kingdom and discover the Order of the White Lotus. Also, both Katara and Zuko get some much needed advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: We're in the final stretch guys, I hope to have the story wrapped up with three or four more chapters. I am very interested to hear what everyone thinks and how you like some of the elements I've modified or changed in an attempt to make a more satisfying ending for this story.
> 
> I have one little correction I need to make: I think I did a bit of a sloppy job with some of Zuko and Katara's dialogue in the last chapter. I think I got the beats of the story right, but going into this chapter, I should have made it more clear that Zuko knows Katara is upset about something having to do with Aang, and obviously her relationship with Aang, but I need Zuko here to not be clear what exactly that relationship is or why it's stressing her out so. I had a line in the last chapter about how he "knew she didn't have the same feelings for Aang," or something like that. I need it to more be, he knew she was upset about her relationship with Aang, but he's not quite clear yet about what sort of relationship she and Aang or why exactly she's so upset. Sorry to have to do this revision, but I needed to do it to set up a good line from Uncle Iroh, so I hope you all forgive me.
> 
> Also, I'm going to be intercutting a lot with what actually happened in the show from here, so, much like my Ember Island chapter, I'm not going to retell the exact same events that happen in the show. It might be a bit piecemeal, but hopefully it's not too bad a read.
> 
> Again, thank you to all those who comment! I love hearing what you think, both about my story, but the Avatar world and characters in general. You're all awesome!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The White Lotus

* * *

"Any sign of him?" Sokka asks. The group has been searching for Aang all morning since they noticed he was missing. Everyone's back in front of the beach house, all shaking their heads and in varying states of anger, disappointment and concern.

"Great," Sokka says, clearly upset about it. "What are we going to do now?"

"He's got to come back, doesn't he?" Suki asks.

Everyone looks solemn. Even Katara can't pretend like she's certain Aang will show up when they need him.

"Yeah, maybe a 100 years from now," Toph says angrily. Since it's her homeland at stake, her emotions are more on the surface than normal.

Katara takes a heavy sigh and turns away from the group as they bicker over what they should do next.

"Look, Appa's still here, he's on the island somewhere," Sokka maintains.

Toph gripes back. "I've checked everywhere!"

"Yeah, but with your feet…"

"They're better than your eyes."

Zuko notices Katara pulling away and follows her.

"Hey," he says, uncharacteristically reaching out to her and grabbing her hand. He almost asks her if she's okay, but he realizes it's a dumb question before it's able to escape his throat.

Of course she's not okay. None of them are. Sozin's Comet is just a few days away and the Avatar has gone missing.

Katara looks up to face him, her expression as much a look of appreciation as it is despair. And it's not only sadness that Katara feels, or anger, unlike everyone else in the group, she's also feeling guilt. She can't help but wonder if she is the reason Aang has gone away. That maybe, if she'd done or said something differently, he'd still be here.

Zuko still doesn't know quite what's warring inside of her, but he knows how close she is to Aang and how upset she's been recently. And since he doesn't know what to say to her to make things better, he decides to do something instead.

"Come on, guys," he tells everyone, "I think I know how to find him."

* * *

AN: The group flies to the Earth Kingdom, and I'm going pick up right outside the tavern after they find Jun.

* * *

"Alright, alright, what do you want, kid, I see you found your girlfriend," Jun tells Zuko once he's dragged her outside to his friends.

Katara and Zuko exchange sheepish glances.

"We need to find someone." Zuko says.

"No kidding."

"Katara, can you bring me Aang's staff?"

Katara grabs it from off of Appa and hands it to him.

"Woah, you want me to find the Avatar? That's going to cost you."

"I already paid you!" Zuko says angrily.

"You're the Fire Prince, I know you got more than that," Jun counters.

"We already settled on a price! No changes."

"I change whatever I want!" Jun challenges him.

Katara watches nervously as they squabble. She goes and sits on a log as the argument escalates.

Toph has sensed Katara's uneasiness for the past few days. Despite her better judgement, she goes and sits next to her, blowing her hair from her eyes as she does.

"What's up, Katara?"

Katara lets out a long sigh. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Remember, Katara, I know when people are lying."

Katara gives Toph an incredulous stare. She's not sure what this conversation is about, but she doesn't think she appreciates it.

"Alright, then, I guess I'm worried," she says heatedly.

"Pfft. We're all worried. What you are is more than worried."

Katara doesn't appreciate Toph's interrogation. She hangs her head down on her knees.

"See, that's not worried," Toph tells her, "that's regret."

Katara shoots Toph another angry look. Toph is blissfully unaware, she blinks ahead, a smug smile on her face.

"Fine, I guess I feel bad because Aang disappeared."

"Why?"

Katara finally can't keep her emotions back any further. "Because I think it's my fault he left."

Toph lets out a deep belly laugh. Katara looks like she could kill her. "Your fault? Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

"Look, Toph, I know you're just…"

"…The same age as Aang," Toph tells her, her voice almost mocking. Toph has always had a good read on everyone's emotions. She knows what's going on, she just wants Katara to admit it.

Katara huffs. "Fine. Aang has repeatedly expressed a desire to have a relationship with me, and I've held off on giving him and answer because of everything that's going on with the war and the world. He brought it up again last night, and I'm really afraid that I upset him."

"So he ran away?"

"Yes," Katara admits, her voice full of guilt and shame.

"Wow, that's some ego you've got, missy."

Katara's temper immediately ignites. "Me!? Ego!? I'm not selfish!"

"Sounds to me like you are."

"How can you even say that!?"

"Because you think this is all about you!"

Katara fumes. All she'd ever done has tried to put the needs of others before herself, to take care of everyone, make sure they were happy. But Toph's words sting her. But as much as she hates what Toph just said, she can't exactly refute it.

"Look, Katara," Toph says, "This is about Aang. He's his own person, and he gets to make his own choices."

Katara lets out a deep breath and nods.

"And so do you," Toph says, her voice suddenly lighter. Toph punches Katara softly in her arm. Katara looks at her strangely.

"What do you mean?"

If Toph couldn't read most of Katara's emotions, she'd think she was playing dumb just to annoy her. But she realizes just how confused her friend really is.

"You get to decide too," Toph tells her.

"Ugg," Katara groans at the chore, as if it is impossible. "This is just so important to Aang…" The weight of his want burdens her. She can barely see past it.

"Look, Katara, no matter how badly Aang likes you, I'm sure he'd only want you to be with him only if you really wanted to be."

Katara nods as she takes this information in. "I guess I have to figure that out," she tells her friends.

"Okay, let's do that then."

"It's not that simple."

"Sure it is. Let's imagine Aang is with us right now and he walks up to us and asks to speak with you. How would that make you feel? Listen to your heart."

Toph grabs Katara's arm and puts her fingers on her pulse for a better read. Katara understand exactly what she's doing.

Katara sighs. "Stressed, I guess, and annoyed that all he seems to care about is dating when the world's about to end."

Toph nods, knowing Katara is telling the truth.

"Okay, let's imagine the world isn't about to end. We're back cozy in Ba Sing Se with tons of time on our hands and Aang comes up and wants to talk to you. 'Katara, you got a minute?'" Toph impersonates him badly.

Katara almost laughs, but her heart pounds the same stressful way. She'd want to get out of that conversation too, and Toph knows it.

"There's your answer."

"Are you sure?" She looks at her friend desperately.

Toph's smile flickers for a brief moment, but she holds it and nods. In Toph's experience, people's hearts are never wrong. They tell her all sorts of things, sometimes things she doesn't want to know, but they never lie.

"Yeah," Toph tells her, her voice a bit down. She places her foot on the ground and senses out for Sokka, and finds him next to Suki, both their hearts pounding for each other. No one's heart ever seems to pound for her. She sighs heavily. "I'm sure." 

Katara looks to her friend and smiles, her mood brightening. Toph can feel the tense run from Katara's body. She gets a mischievous smile on her face.

"Now, imagine the person who wants to talk to you is Zuko," Toph says with a little laugh.

Katara's face goes red. Her heart beats excitedly, but she looks at Toph in utter embarrassment.

"Ha," Toph says, self-satisfied. "Knew it."

Katara gives Toph and dirty look and stomps off. "You're welcome!" She calls after Katara.

* * *

AN: I imagine while this happened, Zuko talked to Jun and they realized Aang was missing and decided to look for Uncle Iroh. This can play out the same way it did in the show, but I'd change one detail. I was always weirded out by Zuko having that old flipflop of his Uncle's. Where did he keep it? In his pocket? And why? It's kind of gross. I imagine Zuko would use a pai sho piece, maybe a special white lotus pai show piece his uncle once gave him in case he every got lost or needed help. Something like that. It's not really an important detail, but it is a much better one, I think.

Please note that what's going on with Azula, Ozai and Aang will differ some, so I'll get to their story threads in a bit.

We're going to pick back up at the Old Masters camp outside of Ba Sing Se. I'm going to let Zuko and Iroh's reunion play the exact same way it did in the show, because it's perfect and there's no way I can top it, and we'll start this story again that same morning. I'm going to redo the speech where they ask Iroh for help, and he says he can't because of how history would remember him dethroning Ozai. That logic always seemed like a cop out to me.

Also, I'm going to add a character that is a Fire Nation general who is part of the White Lotus, just so our characters can learn more about Ozai's sinister plan. I'm going to call him Wuanso. I'm going to change some details about Ozia's attack plan, but it still mostly will concern burning the world from air ships.

* * *

"But Uncle Iroh, you're the only one who can possibly help us," Zuko tells him.

Iroh grumbles slightly from behind his tea. He is also troubled by the Avatar's disappearance, but he's committed to freeing Ba Sing Se.

"Zuko, I do not know if I could overtake my brother," Iroh shakes his head seriously, "and if the Avatar is not around to do it, it is crucial we set up a freehold in the Earth Kingdom and unite all the rebel parties. Securing a strong and independent Ba Sing Se is more important than ever."

What Iroh doesn't say is that if the Avatar can't do it, he's not sure anyone can.

The group all look at him seriously.

"But we have to do something!" Sokka almost screams. "We can't just let him take over the world."

"I cannot tell you what to do. We each must decide what path is right for us in troubling times."

"I think my father has to be stopped, no matter the cost," Zuko says. His dual swords lay across his knees as he says this. His back is straight, and he looks more serious than ever.

His uncle looks at him with a mixture of sadness and pride.

"I agree," Sokka say, "We've been in this from the beginning to stop the Fire Lord."

Sokka and Zuko look each other in the eyes, exchanging a warrior's glance, and nod.

"But even if you stop Ozai," General Wuanso says, "there's still his fire fleet to content with."

General Wuanso is a general in Ozai's army who also happens to be a member of the White Lotus. He feeds the organization much of the information that they need.

General Wuanso had explained to them all earlier that Ozai's plan is to attack on two fronts. He and his daughter Azula are taking off from the Fire Nation capital in two enormous air ships and head North East towards Ba Sing Se. Towards the South East, another fleet of twenty airships will depart with twenty powerful firebendiers at their helm. Each ship will be filled with oil which will be poured onto the Earth Kingdom and set ablaze with incredible fire during Sozin's Comet.

"So we split up," Sokka says like it's no big deal. "half of us take out Ozai and Azula, half of us take out the fleet of 20 airships, and we really hope Aang shows up."

Everyone nods even though they don't like the plan.

The rest of the day is spent going over plans, talking tactics, and taking advice. By the evening, Zuko sits on a log at the edge of their camp by himself.

"Beautiful view," Uncle Iroh says as he sits down next to his nephew. The sun is setting behind the forest and the sky is a beautiful milky yellows and blues. But Zuko isn't looking at the sky. He's been watching Katara as she sets up tents.

"Yeah, trees…" Zuko says, trying to pretend his was looking at the landscape.

Uncle Iroh just chuckles softly. "Have I ever told you the parable about the wise river salmon?"

"No," Zuko says, his attention elsewhere.

"Do you want to hear it?"

"Not really, Uncle," Zuko admits, his voice an apology. 

Uncle Iroh laughs again. "I didn't think so. So why don't you go talk to her Zuko, instead of sitting here with me?"

Zuko huffs and hits his fists on his knees. "It isn't that easy…" He buries his face in his hands.

"Why not?" Iroh asks.

"I can't do that to Katara. I respect her too much to…"

Iroh isn't quite sure where is nephew is going with this, but he knows it's in the wrong direction.

"Look, my boy, you like her, you should tell her…"

"What makes you think I like her," Zuko tries to deflect.

"You are good at many, many things," Iroh tells him seriously, "but hiding your emotions is not one of them." Iroh chuckles slightly as he says this.

Zuko gives a soft smile, relaxing his posture a bit. He hopes he hasn't been as transparent to Katara though.

"Go, tell her," Iroh encourages again. He knocks his shoulder into his nephew's, as if to tell him to get up and go.

Zuko smiles stays on his face for a few seconds but it falters.

"I can't." He finally admits, his voice growing more serious. "She's having a hard enough time trying to figure out how she feels about Aang. I don't want to complicate matters for her."

Iroh knows his nephew thinks he's being noble, and he looks at him sympathetically.

"Maybe it will be easier for her to make her decision if she knows what all her options are."

Zuko looks at his uncle, his eyes widening, thankful, and a smile growing, hopeful for the first time in a long time.


	14. The Lion Turtle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Aang struggles with what he should do about Fire Lord Ozai, he finds himself on a mysterious island that offers him answers to many of the questions he faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Much like my previous chapter, this one will mostly include the same events that happened in the show, so I'm going to gloss over what is the same and focus on what I need to change to make my ending work.
> 
> Question: I am really trying to stay in the same neighborhood as far as the kid-friendly tone, humor, etc. as the original show. I know I've gone a bit more mature in a few places, and I'm wondering how you all feel about main character deaths. I really feel like good writing has good stakes, and when you've got an end-of-the-world type scenario, usually someone has to die to make the danger believable. Right now, I'm basically toying with the idea of staying true to the show in every aspect other than the Katara-Aang coupling, or, I could go a bit further down my own path, and go a bit darker, a bit more mature and serious. And by darker, I mean like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, not Game of Thrones. I'd love to hear what you all think if anyone has a strong opinion, one way or the other.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Lion Turtle

* * *

When Aang wakes up, he's lying on the forest floor with Momo lying next to him. He rubs his eyes, confused for a moment about how he got there, but then he remembers how he angrily stormed off after seeing Katara go to Zuko's room. How he found himself wandering in the forest, down to the beach. The he suddenly remembers a great island he'd never seen before.

Aang is certain the island was a dream and tries to run back to the beach house. Momo follows him. But ask Aang keeps running, he realizes he doesn't know these trees. Nothing looks familiar to him.

He shoots up a tree, looking to the mountains where he and Toph trained. They are no where to be seen.

Momo flies along side him and perches on his shoulder.

"Where are we, Momo?"

His flying lemur just tilts his head.

Aang jumps to the ground and begin exploring his surroundings.

"What are we going to do, Momo?" he asks his friend, head hanging low.

He knows Sozin's Comet is just a few days away and is beginning to feel guilty for leaving his friends, for leaving Katara.

Aang's heart begins to hammer and he thinks of all his love for Katara. He thinks he has to get back to her, to save her. And if that means he needs to kill Fire Lord Ozai, he will.

Aang sits down on the forest floor and begins to meditate. He focuses on the air chakra, trying to open it the way Guru Pathik taught him, focusing on Katara, certain he will find her like he did in Ba Sing Se.

Aang knows it isn't a coincidence that the air chakra involves love. He knows this is his truest path, his strongest aim.

But all Aang can sees are images of Katara from the past. Images of many of the things he's come to love about her. He sees her caring for others, never backing down from a fight…

Aang's brow wrinkles as he grows frustrated, and he begins opening the light chakra, hoping it will help. He remembers what Guru Patik told him, how separation is an illusion, and everything is connected.

Aang feels the love grow in his heart for Katara, he knows they are connected. He wills the bond tighten.

He recalls their kiss on the day of the eclipse, feels a wonderful surge of energy in him. But then he sees Katara's face. She pulls away from him, he hands fall, her face uncertain.

"I don't know Aang, I'm confused," he hears her say, on the balcony of the Ember Island theater.

Aang doesn't like this memory and tries to shake it away. He focuses again on his love and light chakra, opening them to their fullest. But he's getting nowhere.

Aang now focuses on the water chakra, the one involving pleasure and guilt. He forgives himself for kissing Katara at the theater, he realizes it was the wrong moment, and knows she can forgive him to. He wants to release that guilt and open the path to the joy he knows they can share. He tries to feel closer to her, to focus on their bond, hoping the water element connected to this chakra will help him find her.

But it's still not working.

He opens his fire chakra next, the one involving willpower and shame. He thinks about how pure and committed his love for Katara is, believing he can will himself to find her, be with her. He puts all his energy into it. He feels strong and powerful as the fire chakra opens, but the only image he finds of Katara is her confused face on the balcony of the Ember Island theater. Aang shifts, irritated to recall this moment again.

 _Didn't I just forgive myself for this?_ He grumbles to himself.

But he knows the opposite of willpower is shame, and he wonders if she should be ashamed of what he did.

_I'm sorry, Katara, I didn't mean to upset you…I know now that wasn't the right time…._

He tries to let that energy flow out into the world, hoping it will find her and reach her with all his other chakras open.

But he senses nothing, and Aang begins to grow afraid.

Aang decides to address this fear head on. He opens his Earth charka, focusing not on his survival but fear.

If he can overcome his fear, it will put him on a path of survival, and his relationship will Katara will endure.

Katara's troubled face is still staring at him from that night at the theater. She's got one arm across her chest, holding herself tightly, almost making herself small.

A tear begins to fall from the corner of Aang's eye.

He realized Katara's face isn't confused or uncertain, it's unhappy.

And as he realizes this, his truth chakra opens, and he knows now what he has long feared is true: Not that he'd hurt Katara but that she doesn't love him the way he wants her to.

Tears pour down both sides of Aang's face. He's not sure he can face this. He feels all sorts of energy pour through his body, he feels strong, but also unstable. He feels angry and sad and scared. As this intense energy courses through him, his seventh and final chakra begins to open, the one he'd thought was damaged by Azula's lightning strike, the one that deals with pure cosmic energy and detachment. He can feel it widening, but it flickers to a close.

As Aang feels all this power wash out of him, he opens his eyes and sees Avatar Roku standing before him. Suddenly, all of Aang's chakras close. He's left the Avatar state and is back on the island with Roku standing before him.

"Avatar Roku?" Aang says, his voice trembling from what just happened. "What's happening?"

"I am not certain, but this is a powerful and mystical place that's brought us here. I think it wants to help you."

"Yeah, I guess I need some help," Aang sheepishly admits.

"I offer you all my experience, wisdom and advice," Roku nods respectfully.

"I don't know what to do," Aang almost whines, "I'm supposed to face Fire Lord Ozai, I can't reach the Avatar state, and the girl that I love—"

Roku cuts Aang off.

"You must focus on one problem at a time, or you'll lose clarity. Which of these issues is most pressing?"

"I don't know," Aang admits, "I probably need the Avatar state to stop Ozai, but stopping Ozai is more important that the Avartar state."

"Think carefully on this, young Avatar, and put all your energy into the mission at hand. If you succeed at one task, then the rest will follow."

"Okay," Aang says at bit weakly.

Avatar Roku disappears.

"That wasn't as helpful as I thought it would be," Aang mumbles to himself as Avatar Kiyoshi appears before him.

"Hello, Aang, how can I help you?"

"Hi Kiyoshi. I need some advice."

"How can I help you, Aang?" she repeats herself, her voice laced with annoyance.

Aang looks at Kyoshi seriously, and, taking Roku's advice, he knows he needs to get to the crux of his issue. "I need to defeat the Fire Lord, but everyone expects me to kill him..."

"I think you just answered your own question, Aang," she tells him, "if you need to defeat him, then you must do whatever you have to do to make that come to pass."

"What if I don't feel right about it?"

"If you must defeat him, then you shouldn't regret whatever you have to guarantee that outcome."

"Okay," Aang says, more sullen that before.

Kiyoshi begins to fade away. "Hey, Kiyoshi," Aang calls to her quickly, "before you go, could I ask you something as a woman?"

"No," she says and disappears.

Avatar Kuruk now appears before him.

Aang searches deeper in himself, trying to make sure he asks the right question to Kuruk.

"Avatar Kuruk, I need your advice. What if I don't think it's right to kill the Fire Lord?"

"Then you must accept the consequences of letting him life, whatever destruction and horror that brings. Weigh your options and pick whatever option you can live with."

Kuruk quickly fades away and Avatar Yangchen appears before him.

Aang feels sickly. He wants to make sure he asks her the right question, but a million are spinning through his head.

 _What is it I really need to know?_ He asks himself, and then suddenly he asks it out loud to her.

Avatar Yangchen looks at him sympathetically. "Aang, you need to know if Katara has feelings for you."

Aang is shocked to hear her say this. He'd been trying to focus on taking down Fire Lord Ozai.

"That's true," he says, wiping a tear from his eye, "I do. But I know that's not important right now…"

"It's important if it's important to you, Aang."

"Thanks," Aang says. This is the first time he's felt like his feeling are being affirmed.

Yangchen sends him a sad smile. "Aang, you and I were both airbenders originally."

Aang looks up at her, not sure why she's saying this.

"As airbenders, what do we prize above all?"

"Love!" Aang says, his voice growing hopeful.

Yangchen gives him a skeptical look.

"And freedom," he adds.

"Yes, they are two sides of the same coin. You can never have true love unless you allow someone the freedom make their own choices."

"This is what detachment really means, isn't it?" Aang asks, finally realizing how the chakras really work.

"It is how I have always understood it," Yangchen tells him.

Love and the interconnectedness of everything are not at odds with detachment like he always believed. Letting go of Katara didn't mean he'd lose her or that he didn't love her, in fact, it was quite the opposite. He could let her go because he loved her, allowing her the freedom to make her own decisions. Aang realizes that he'd never find true love unless he gave someone that freedom in the first place, and he also knew that providing that freedom didn't guarantee the love. This was the true meaning of detachment.

And the true power.

As Aang realizes this, he feels something shoot through his spine, stretching down his limbs and across his whole body. The lies he'd believe, the fears, everything that held him back falls away. His chakras completely open, all aligned. Truth, energy, love, light, power, it all flows through him. He enters the Avatar state and sees all the Avatars that came before him, accessing all their wisdom.

He looks up and down their rows at every one o them and feels his full power, a power he's never felt before. He lets it course through his body and finally understands.

And then he releases it.

He comes out of the Avatar state.

Aang lands on all fours on the forest and slightly out of breath and looks ahead.

Aang gets up off all four and begins walking as Momo scampers through the trees to keep up. He climbs through thick, overgrown jungle, and finally reaches the edge of the island.

Aang jumps off of it and swims down where he sees the face of a great and ancient lion turtle. Pulling from the other Avatar's knowledge, Aang knows this being is powerful and mighty.

He also knows it brought him here.

The lion turtle grabs Aang in one of its paws and lifts him up so they are face to face.

"Why did you bring me here?" Aang asks.

"You are the Avatar and your destiny is to maintain balance in the world. Before you lies a task greater than most Avatars have ever had to face. You came to them for guidance but they did not have the answer you sought…"

Aang shakes his head, agreeing with the lion turtle.

"…They did not have the answer to your question because it was not one any of them ever thought to ask…"

Aang just looks at the magnificent creature, not quite understanding.

"…You are special, Avatar Aang, so it is with you only that I will share this gift."

The great lion turtle reaches up to Aang's forehead, pressing him ever so slightly with his claw. And from there, a beautiful light begins to shine, purer than anything anyone has ever seen.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think about how all of Aang's drama connected and unfolded in this chapter! I hope is issues with Katara, the chakras, and dealing with Fire Lord Ozai all came together well, but I'd love your guys' feedback. 


	15. This Is Not Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sozin's Comet approaches, Sokka, Katara, Zuko, Toph, Suki and Uncle Iroh make their plans and say their goodbye, hoping Aang will return.

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Twenty-Nine: This Is Not Goodbye

* * *

Zuko walks slowly down the slight hill at the White Lotus camp towards the tents, his uncle's last words echoing in his mind.

He's trying to figure out exactly what he wants to say to Katara, and stops a few times, starting to turn back, but keeps going. He walks to the area where the tents are, looking for Katara when she nearly smacks into him.

"Zuko! Sorry, I, didn't see you there," she says as she rises from the ground, carrying a large basket full of blankets.

"I am the one who should apologize," he says quickly, taking a step back and bowing his head.

Katara laughs lightly. _He's always so formal,_ she thinks. But it's easy for Zuko to default to his royal training whenever he's uncertain or nervous.

"How's it going?" He asks, offering to take the blankets from her and help set up the tents.

Katara's lets out a sigh that is almost a low whistle and just kind of looks around with a shrug, indicating the work she's doing.

"I mean, how are you feeling…about everything?" Zuko tries to meet her eyes as she answers this.

"I guess I just really hope that Aang comes," she admits, thinking he was only asking about their confrontation with the Fire Lord. "I'd just feel a lot better knowing he's going to be there…"

"Right, Aang…" Zuko says, sounding a bit crestfallen. "My uncle is pretty certain he'll show up," Zuko tells her, hoping it's some comfort.

"What about you?" She asks genuinely, wanting to focus on him. "How do you feel about…."

"Killing my father?" Zuko almost says it with a laugh as he ties a knot to help hold up a tent. "I told Aang it needed to be done, and I meant it. If I'm the one who has to do it, then I will."

Katara looks at him seriously. She believes him. Though she has no idea how he feels about it.

"I think, when the time comes, Aang will be there…" She nods emphatically, trying to offer him comfort.

Zuko just shifts slightly. Then he looks up at her, his eyes searching for something. "Whatever happens tomorrow, Katara, I just want you to know, I'm honored to fight at your side."

Katara looked at him strangely for a moment. _He's always so formal,_ she thinks again with a smile. She's not quite sure what he means by this. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

When he hears this, he returns her smile and blushes ever so slightly.

"Katara, I'm just wondering, if there's anything more that you want from me?" He helps her tighten the knot in a rope that's going to hold up one to their tents, and his fingers brush against hers ever so slightly.

"Actually, if you could finish setting up tents, I'm going to go start making dinner."

Zuko nods, hiding his disappointment.

 _God, how could I be so stupid?_ He thinks to himself as he sets up the rest of the tents, _That's not how it was supposed to come out…_

It is only a bit after Katara leaves that she begins to wonder if Zuko hadn't been asking about her feelings about the fight. After all, she had dumped a lot on him the night he'd found her crying. She recalls how he shifted when she kept bringing up Aang. Thinking about this, she remembers what Toph had told her the other day about listening to bodies, how they never lie. She thinks back to several little actions she'd seen from Zuko over the past few weeks. His helping hands slight brushing against hers, how his body would relax sometimes when it was just the two of them, forgetting that formal posturing that'd been so deeply engrained in him since childhood. How she's heard him really laugh, seen a true smile.

And Katara realizes she's got a true smile herself as she lets herself think, _Could Zuko really like me?_

She sits next to them as they eat dinner, hoping he'll return to the earlier conversation, but he doesn't. He's too busy angrily reflecting on his poor choice of wording from earlier, too afraid he'll say something all wrong again.

Katara pushes out of her tent and begins walking towards Zuko's. The night has fully set in now, and everything is dark and quiet. Deep snoring sounds pour from some of the Old Master's tents, and the small fire they'd set up for dinner is nothing but embers.

As Katara tiptoes past it, her brother nearly crashes into her as he too crosses the camp site.

"Gaaaa!" Sokka starts to scream but quickly quiets himself, placing his hands over his mouth.

"God, Sokka, what are you doing?"

Sokka takes a moment to compose himself. He's going to see Suki, but he's not telling his sister this. "I…uh…gotta take a leak."

"Ewww, Sokka!"

"Hey, when nature calls," he says with a light laugh, starting to walk away. But then he turns back to her. "Wait a minute, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to Toph," Katara says plainly.

Sokka doesn't think anything of it as he heads towards Suki's tent. When he reaches it, he looks around again, to make sure no one is watching him enter, and when he does, he sees his little sister. But she's right outside Zuko's tent, not Toph's.

His initial reaction is to scream at her. "Hey! That's not Toph!" But he doesn't, he sighs deeply.

 _Yeah, okay,_ he thinks to himself, accepting it, and turns to go see Suki.

In Toph's tent, she raises her feet off the ground, leaning them on the beam that holds the blankets up, not wanting to know anything more about what her friends are up to this night.

"Knock knock," Katara says, a bit playful outside Zuko's tent.

"Hey, come in." He is sitting on the floor sharpening his two dual blades, and almost stumbles over himself to get up and greet her.

"You don't have to get up," Katara says as she walks in.

Zuko resettles himself on the floor and extends his hand, offering Katara a place to sit.

She takes it and looks over him, watching him carefully and trying to read him.

"Hey," she says, trying to hold on to the confidence she'd found before.

"Hey," he returns, putting down his blades and looking up at her.

"I just, uh, wanted to…"

"See how I was?" Zuko chuckles slightly.

Katara smiles. "I feel like I made a mess of the conversation before." Zuko thought he was the one who made a mess of it.

"What do you mean?"

"You were being nice, trying to check on me, and all I did was talk about Aang…" She says as she tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Oh…" Zuko is not quite sure what she means by this.

"We should talk about something else."

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know," she says, resting back a bit. "Why don't you tell me what you want to do after all of this?"

Zuko pauses and thinks deeply. He's not really sure he's ever had to think about what he wants to do. It was also about doing his duties as a prince, restoring his honor, correcting his mistakes. Zuko honestly doesn't know what he'll do, assuming they win.

"I don't know," he says, "I guess I've never really thought of it."

"You don't know what you like to do for fun?"

Honestly, the most fun Zuko's had has been training Katara to sword fight. He just shrugs. "What do you want to do?" he asks her, leaning in.

Katara realizes she hasn't thought of this either. But she thinks about when she's been most happy, by the water, some place beautiful, able to swim, relax, enjoy herself.

"Swim," she says, bashfully, "I know, real original for a waterbender."

"Swim." A big smile covers Zuko's face as he says this. He's just happy to see how happy it makes her. "I like it."

"You'll come with me then? We can find some place pretty, warm, and…"

Katara's eyes cling to Zuko's face, she's hoping she hasn't assumed to much, and is desperate to know what he's thinking, feeling.

"…and I can really teach you how to swim," she adds a bit playfully.

"Hey, I can swim. Not very well, but…I'd be happy for you to teach me."

"Perfect. It's a date."

* * *

Thick mists cover the land as it is slowly illuminated by the rising sun. Everyone rises early. The weight of their missions is heavy on them. Tomorrow is the day of Sozin's Comet, and they all need to be ready for their separate tasks.

Sokka, his hair a wreck, sneaks out of Suki's tent and dashes over to his, even though Iroh, Zuko and the other firebenders are already awake, drinking tea by a small fire.

"Someone had a good night," Iroh chuckles softly. "Did you?" He winks at his nephew.

"Uncle!"

Iroh just laughs some more. "We should always be open to the joys and pleasures life has to give us."

"I'm open," Zuko says begrudgingly, "I'm open."

When everyone is up and ready, they say their goodbyes and get ready to depart.

"Are you really sure all you old people need to be here in Ba Sing Se?" Toph asks them.

"The Earth Kingdom capital is full of the Fire Lord's army, it will take all of us, I think, to reclaim this city." Iroh looks at everyone as he says this, "Our work won't be easy, but if we do it together, we won't fail."

"I hope you're right, uncle," Zuko says to him, trying not to sound afraid.

"Me too, Zuko, me too."

The two men hug.

"You think it's a fool's errand?"

"I think it's a noble errand," Iroh tells him, taking him into a hug again and holding his face. "I am so proud of you, Zuko."

Katara pulls Sokka, Toph and Suki into a big hug.

"You guys be careful, as long as no one sees you, you should be fine."

"You know me," Sokka says, "stealth is my middle name."

"I thought sarcasm was your middle name." She's trying not to cry as she laughs.

"Well, that too. I got a long name."

Sokka hugs his sister tightly. "You're the one who needs to be careful. Ozai and Azula…"

"Aang will come," she tells him.

Sokka just nods as Zuko walks over.

"Alright, man, well, it's been nice knowing you," Sokka tells Zuko with a big grin on his face, swinging his hand in for a rough handshake.

Zuko is unfamiliar with this custom. His grip is awkward at first but strong.

"Sokka," Katara chides him.

"I'm just kidding. But seriously though…" Sokka looks to both of them. "You guys take care of each other."

"We well," Katara tells him.

Sokka give Zuko the look of a big brother, and Zuko, understanding his meaning fully, respectfully bows. He won't let anything happen to Katara.

"Okay then," Sokka says to everyone, "now we do this."

Sokka, Suki and Toph climb on an eel hound while Zuko and Katara get on Appa.

Uncle Iroh and the other members of the White Lotus come to see them off.

"Goodbye, General Iroh," Katara says. "Goodbye, everyone."

Iroh steps forward. "Today, destiny is our friend, I know."

They all look at each other and nod. Sokka then kicks his the eel hound and it races off as Appa takes to the air.

Their goal is to get to their respective locations by nightfall because tomorrow Sozin's Comet comes.


	16. The Fire Lord - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Sozin's Comet has come and our main characters prepare to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: For my story, Ozai hasn't declared himself Phoenix King yet and he and Azula are going to lead two massive airships during Sozin's Comet. The plan is for one team of airships to burn a path through the North and the other through the South, cutting the Earth Kingdom into pieces that Ozai will invade, conquer and control. After this, Azula will be made Fire Lord of the Fire Nation and Ozai will be the Supreme Ruler of the world.
> 
> Also, just a heads up, not all of our favorite characters make it to the end. I'm very interested to know who you think might not make it, if you figured it out, how you feel about it, etc. So if anyone would be willing to indulge me with such a comment, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks again!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Thirty: The Fire Lord – Part 1

* * *

The sun is setting when Appa lands softly outside the Fire Nation Capitol. Zuko throws their small bag of supplies over his shoulder as Katara hops down. Their goal is to get as close as they can to the place while staying hidden. They'll try to get some sleep and then attack in the morning before comet comes, attacking Ozai and Azula deep in the palace where Zuko knows there are few guards.

. . . . .

When the eel hound reaches the Fire Nation's small island base, the sky is bright with the orange sunset and distant mountains in the Earth Kingdom peek over the horizon. They can see the massive Fire Nation ships at port, filled with the airships for the assult.

Suki climbs off as Sokka helps Toph down and they sneak towards the base. Their plan is to creep onto the ships at night and disable the airships before the attack in the next day. By the time the soldiers realize damage has been done, Sokka and his friends will be long gone.

. . . . .

"Okay, I think here's good," Zuko tells Katara softly. They've on the edge of a forest by the outside gardens, and the high walls of the palace are in view. They will climb them right before dawn, and then use Zuko's intimate knowledge of the palace's inner workings to find Ozai and kill him.

"Let's get some rest while we can," he tells her.

The pair sits next to each other at the base of a tree and Zuko pulls out some dried food from his pack. He rips it in half and gives one piece to Katara. She smiles at him and begins eating it, looking out at the gardens.

There are small trees and flowery bushes and a few ponds tucked into the green. As the evening grows darker, dozens of fireflies begin to light up the place.

"It's so beautiful," Katara says as she looks upon.

"Yeah," Zuko agrees. But he's looking at her.

. . . . .

Darkness completely covers the Fire Nation's island base. All wearing dark cloaks, the trio get as close at they can without being seen. The soldiers eat dinner around fires, some drinking, some sing Fire Nation anthems, and all are in generally high spirits as the night settles in. A sliver of a moon rises high, and the men all eventually go to sleep.

After everything has been quiet for about an hour, Toph's feet read the ground. "No one is moving," she says, and they slowly approach the piers. Suki's weapons are drawn, in case they need to fight but hoping she doesn't need to.

"Can you tell where the airships are?" he asks Toph in a whisper. It's hard for her to get a read on this ground, but she feels the ships' metal, it's fuzzy because of the water, the sand, but everything is connected. Toph just points to two of the largest ships at the end of the dock.

She holds up two fingers, indicating both ships, and Sokka nods.

Sokka has been watching the men guarding the ships for the past two hours. He's figured out their rotation, and signals when to climb on board, guiding Toph.

They are as quiet as they can be, but luckily there is a strong wind slapping the ocean's waters hard against the ships.

Once they reach the deck, Sokka stops when he sees the airships. Several great machines line the deck. They are all massive and primed for war.

They approach the closet one.

"Alright, Toph, work your magic," Sokka tells her in a low whisper, "remember to do just enough damage to ground this monster, but not enough to be heard."

"Right," Toph tells him, the task is harder than he realizes, but she grips the metal, feeling with her mind for the most sensitive parts, and bends.

The craft gives out a long, low groan that is lost with the sound of the sea. Sokka then sticks his sky-sword into the side of the oil tank, making one tiny incision, and lets the oil drip slowly to the floor.

After the finish one ship, they move to the next, quiet as shadows and careful as they can be, to debilitate the rest. Once they finish, they sneak on to the other ship, and repeat their actions again and again.

They finish as the eastern horizon begins to pale, and quickly cross back to the cover of the forest.

. . . . .

Katara has fallen asleep, her head resting on Zuko's shoulder. He's been awake for most of the night though, unable to let down his guard, quiet his mind. He knows he must be ready when the time comes.

About an hour before dawn, he softly wakes Katara. Their best chance of entering the palace is before the shift change, when the night guards are at their weariest. Katara's eyes slowly open, and she takes a moment to shake the sleep from her, but quickly realizes what is going on.

Without saying anything, they begin to sneak through the lush gardens to the palace's outer wall. Everything is dark and quiet. There is no one around to see them.

Zuko smiles, remembering how the guards used to joke that you only have to work half a night shift. If there's no trouble by midnight, it's smooth sailing til dawn. He knows many of them let themselves fall asleep in the last hours before the shift change.

Zuko takes a grappling hook from his back and swings it to the top of the wall. He agilely scales the wall, and once on top, he pulls the rope to help Katara up. Once inside, Katara stays close to Zuko as he navigates the passages of his childhood home until they reach the exterior of his family's private residence.

They're outside in the courtyard where he used to play with his mother, train in firebending with his sister, and always liked to feed the turtle ducks in the pond.

Zuko knows this area well. He guides Katara to the colonnade by the interior doors to his father's private room. She's to stay there, keeping hidden, and stop Azula if she comes.

Zuko takes Katara's hand and shows her where to hide. She can tell it's a good place, and she has a vantage point of the both Fire Lord Ozai's residence and the family's area, which is where Azula's quarters are.

They stare at each other deeply as Zuko's about to leave. His hand still has hers. Both want to say something, though neither knows exactly what to.

Katara suddenly leans in to kiss him, pressing her lips quickly against his. "For luck," she tells him with a sweet smile.

Zuko savors the warmth of her skin, the rush of the feeling. He grabs her and kisses her deeply, holding her to him for several moments, not holding back .

When they part, their eyes are wild with excitement and delight.

"We're going to need a lot of luck," Zuko tells her as a bit of a joke.

Katara just smiles and nods, bringing her fingers to her lips as if she could feel his kiss some more.

And Zuko backs away quietly, entering the passage to his father's rooms.

. . . . .

Sokka and Suki hold hands as they watch the morning dawn. The sky is clouded and light weak until Sozin's Comet comes.

"Wow," Suki says as the sky begins to burn. Dark shades of glowing reds push back the night's darkness.  
"It's almost beautiful," she whispers.

"Is it time?" Toph asks.

Sokka takes out a bow and arrow and looks down at the Fire Nation soldiers camp. The men are rising, beginning to move around.

"Almost," Sokka tells her.

. . . . .

Everything is dark inside the royal palace, but Zuko knows the servants will begin to stir soon to be ready for his father and Azula before they wake.

He crosses several rooms quickly and quietly before he runs into one, an older man who he's long known.

Zuko knows the servants are afraid of his father, but he does not know if that will make them loyal. He quickly unsheathes his dual blades and engulfs them in flame.

"Leave," he tells the servant, his voice menacing. "Take the others with you."

The man stares at Zuko and nods, as if he knew this day would always come. He bows respectfully and slowly backs away.

Zuko runs more quickly now through the halls of his old home until he reaches the door to his father's private chambers.

Zuko pushes them open without making a sound. Still covered in shadows, he surveys the room and finds his father's bed empty.

Zuko isn't surprised to see his father up. Zuko tiptoes through the room and comes to the balcony. There, his father sits on a bench, his back to Zuko, looking far out into the horizon that's glowing with a new day's light.

His twin swords are still brandished, but no longer aflame. Zuko doesn't make a sound as he approaches his father's back, stepping out of the darkness and into the light.

Only, it's not the sun that's lighting up the sky this morning, but Sozin's Comet. And Ozai is watching it, almost transfixed, as his great future barrels towards him, a smile crossing his lips.

. . . . .

Sokka strings the arrow on his bow and pulls back. Suki lights the tip on fire, and Sokka takes aim. The burning arrow sails through the air unnoticed by the soldiers starting about their day.

But when it lands on the deck of the ship, a deck where the oil from the airships has slowly been pooling all night, fire erupts.

Sokka's second arrow hits the other ship, and both are engulfed inflame. A horn blares, and the soldiers scurry in response.

Sokka smiles, satisfied with their work, as he watches the Fire Nation's warships burn.

. . . . .

On a distant shore, the great lion turtle slowly approaches with the Avatar riding his paw. Aang looks around and sees the great comet coming.

"You know what you have to do," the lion turtle tells him, placing him on the rocky shore.

Aang nods.


	17. The Fire Lord - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the final stretch guys! Thanks so much for joining me. Lots of action in this chapter, which I really struggle with writing, so I'd appreciate any feedback on the writing. I'm expanding/ taking a few liberties with the bending in the final fights, but I think I can justify the few changes I've made, hopefully it works for everybody.
> 
> Please note that I'm going to post two versions of some of the next few chapters, one where I get a little darker and characters die (version A), and one that is much more in the spirit of the show with no major deaths or blood (version B). They will be clearly labeled, so hopefully it won't confuse anybody.
> 
> Throughout this final fight, imagine the siege of Ba Sing Se scenes interspersed. That storyline can follow here as it did in the show.
> 
> And, I'm arming Suki with Sai, which are like little hand swords or large daggers. Gabrielle used them in the TV show Xena, if anyone is familiar with that. Katara's going to do something with bending in here that's not canon, but if metal is part of earth for Toph, I think what I do can work.
> 
> As always, I'd love to know what you guys think!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Thirty-One: The Fire Lord – Part 2

* * *

"Now, this is what I'm talking about," Sokka says, slapping his two female companions on the back as they watch the Fire Nation's ships burn. "Fighting fire with fire! Yeah!"

He laughs, proud of his plan; the Fire Nation never thought they'd have to put out fires, and the soldiers dart around frantically as they try to figure out what to do.

As the flames grow, however, a dozen airships rise from a third, more distant ship.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sokka says, slack-jawed.

"What?" Toph asks.

"There are more airships…." Suki is in dismay.

Toph listens intently, she can hear the hum of engines.

"…They're taking flight," Suki finishes.

"Where?" Toph demands, angry she hadn't been able to sense them before.

Sokka points as Toph grabs both their hands and stomps the ground. The three rocket through the air towards the flying airships.

Holding tightly to Toph, Sokka pulls out his sword and stabs it in the side of one of the machines. Suki follows suit with her sai blades, and they catch themselves as the ship rises in the air.

Now they just have to figure out how to bring these beasts down.

. . . . .

Zuko is only a breath away from his father. He holds one of his blades outward to defend himself and the other is poised to strike.

He begins to swing his blade down, his stroke certain and strong, but Ozai senses the movement behind him and quickly spins around, blasting his attacker with tremendous fire.

Zuko crosses his twin swords and blocks most of the blaze, but he's shot back several feet into his father's bed chamber.

Ozai walks towards him, his large figure imposing. The fires burning around his fists grow brighter as soon as he realizes it's his son.

"Coward," his father spits at him with hate. "A real man looks his opponent in the face before he strikes…"

Zuko grips his weapons more tightly, his flames envelop his swords, and he stares menacingly at the Fire Lord. He has nothing to say to this man.

Ozai just laughs and sends another bolt of fire at him.

Zuko blocks it but crashes backwards again. He drops his two swords now and begins throwing fire back at his father as he gets to his feet. He punches burst after burst at him. But Ozai easily blocks him.

. . . . .

Suki and Sokka, holding on to Toph, swing themselves onto the deck of the ship and make their way to the main cabin. Suki's blades fly furiously and knock down every soldier they meet. When they reach the control room door, Toph senses the metal and smiles.

"My turn," she says, encasing her body with it and crashing in. She shoots balls of metal towards the men, shattering the main window as she fires at them. They are quickly knocked out and fall unconscious to the floor.

"Good work, Toph."

"Don't mention it," she says with a shrug, and all the metal falls to the floor.

"Now what do we do?" Suki asks, as she looks out the main window bay. The other airships head towards the Earth Kingdom's coast. Fire Masters stand at their helms, conjuring great balls of fire in their hands.

Sokka and Suki look in horror as the see the growing flames. Even Toph can sense it.

"Woah," she says.

Sokka takes the ship's wheel in his hands, eyes focused. The wind rips through the broken windows and runs through his hair. Sokka sets his eyes on the other ships, knowing just how to take them down.

. . . . .

Meanwhile, in Ba Sing Se, the Old Masters start their attack to reclaim the city.

. . . . .

Katara hides, crouched low behind a column in the courtyard. She's seen a group of servants quickly exit the building. A few more follow later as she hears the sound of Zuko and his father fighting.

She desperately wants to run up and help him, but he had her promise to stay behind and wait for Azula. It's only a matter of time before she comes.

. . . . .

The remaining airships fly in formation, committed to completing their mission.

Sokka takes control of the vessel, pulling and pumping differing levers to turn it around, making a wide circle in the air and then pointing it at the row of airships.

"Come on, we need to get to the top of this thing fast," he says after he locks the wheel in place. He grabs Toph by the arm, "this is going to be a rough ride."

Guiding Toph, he leads them to the roof. They run onto it the ship starts to crash into the formation. The ground beneath them rumbles terribly as the hull is ripped open as the engines burst.

"Come on!" Sokka screams as he jumps to the roof of the next ship which is also beginning to rupture.

They fly across the roof of this second ship as it's pushed into a third.

Chunks of metal and other machinery blast through the air as the first ship explodes. All three of them are thrown to the ground and bits of debris falls around them.

Sokka shakes his head, disoriented for a second, but collects himself when he hears Toph scream.

Through the smoke and fire, he sees him, pinned down by a burning piece of metal.

"Toph!"

He runs over to her.

"It's metal, can you help me move it?"

Toph is in blinding pain as her leg feels like it's both burning and being crushed.

Sokka takes out his sword and tries to pry it off of her. Toph needs a moment to regain her focus, but when she does, she's able to shoot the metal away from her.

Toph cries out in pain and Sokka looks to her leg. Her skin is partly burned, her bone probably broken, but the bleeding isn't too bad. It is mostly bad bruising.

He takes her softly in his arms. This ship is also succumbing to its damage. Sokka can feel it lurch and tumble as it's pushed into yet another ship.

"Come on, Suki!" he screams as he runs to the next ship, carrying Toph tightly in his arms and jumping to the next roof.

Sokka and Toph roll, and Toph groans in pain. More bits of metal and machinery rocket through the air as something else explodes, and Sokka throws himself over Toph, not going to let anything else injure her. When the ground feels stable, Sokka gets up. The chain reaction of crashing ships has stopped. He knows they'll need to commandeer this ship and start the whole process again to bring down the rest of them.

He holds Toph's face gently in his hands, "are you okay?"

Toph groans unhappily but nods.

"Come on, Suki," Sokka says as he pulls Toph into his arms.

"Suki?" he says, his voice almost breaking as he looks around. "Suki!" Her name is more than a question now, but it goes unanswered in the churning red sky.

. . . . .

Ozai slaps his hands together with tremendous force. Zuko deflects his wave of fire, sending it crashing into a nearby wall and causing it to crumble.

"Your efforts are futile, boy," Ozai taunts him. "You're weak and disgraceful. I should have had you killed along with your mother all those years ago. Her pathetic love softened you."

Anger flares in Zuko's heart and he shoots a stream of writhing flames at his father from one hand one hand. He does the same with the other, cornering Ozai between the two bursts.

Ozai shakes off his robes and shoots fire from his feet, rocketing himself away from Zuko's flames and landing on the balcony. He quickly sends another burst at his son, who has to run to dodge it.

. . . . .

Azula wakes up early this day to make sure she was nothing short of perfect for her and her father's mission.

She's fitted in new, gleaming armor that one of her servants polishes while another carefully does her hair.

"I don't want even one strand out of place," she barks. "Today will be the greatest day of my life, the day my father and I take over the world."

Her attendants bow humbly but exchange startled glances when she's not looking.

It's barely dawn, when Azula is ready, and she has her palanquin bearers carry her to the dock where the great airships are waiting.

Azula exits her coach in full glory, but there is no one there yet to greet her.

"Hmmm," she says with pressed lips and stands at attention until the ranking members of the Fire Nation army arrive.

"Finally, I was beginning to think I was going to have to do all the work myself," she tells the first general who walks up to her.

"Princess," he bows to her.

Azula drums her fingers on her metal wrist guards, her nails tapping more and more impatiently. The other generals arrive, Sozin's Comet is growing clearer and clearer on the horizon as the sky boils in several shades of red.

"Where's my father?" she asks the other generals.

They look to each other, questions on their faces, and shrug.

She rolls her eyes. _What is taking that man so long?_ She thinks to herself as she looks towards the Royal Residence.

. . . . .

"Where's Suki?" Toph asks as Sokka carries her to a hatch in the roof of the ship.

Sokka doesn't answer, but Toph can feel his heart hammering hard, angry.

He stays focused on the mission. "Hold on tight while I carry you down the ladder. We've got to break into the control room and bring this ship down."

Sokka carries her to the control room where Toph places her hands on the door and blasts it into the cabin. It shoots out the front windows and Sokka knocks down the captain and other soldiers with his boomerang. They drop as it bounces across each of their heads and returns to his fist.

"Alright," he says, setting Toph aside for a moment, "let's do this again."

Sokka yanks the wheel and aims the airship at the others. It makes a sharp, abrupt turn and barrels towards its sister ships. Sokka locks the wheel in place, and then grabs Toph and heads back up to the roof.

"Ready?" he asks her.

"Yeah," she says, holding tight. "Let's do this."

And Sokka runs towards the roof of the next ship as the vessels collide.

. . . . .

Zuko is struggling to keep his father's fire at bay. His feet slide across the floor and sweat drips from his brow as Ozai's relentless streams of fire blasts against him.

Zuko is finally able to push his father's fire away, sending it shooting towards the sky. But the effort throws him backwards several feet on the ground.

His father takes a step closer and looks down at him with disdain.

"You are such a disappointment."

"The feeling's mutual," Zuko spits through gritted teeth. He's on his side, panting. He balls one fist, but his father's eyes watch him closely, and Zuko knows his father will block his strike. He won't beat his father with strength alone.

So Zuko spins up off the ground into a flip. He throws a bolt of fire quickly from his feet that crashes into the roof of the room and sends beams and stone blocks down on Ozai, and he's crushed beneath them.

While he is down, Zuko runs to pick up his dual swords.

. . . . .

Azula, having grown impatient, walks up the main path to her family's private quarters. Her posture is strong and straight as she makes her way through a side entrance and into the private courtyard that connects to her father's wing of the house.

She's trying to decide just how she wants to voice her disappointment to her father for keeping her waiting, knowing she has to choose her words carefully, when she sees flame burst through the roof of her family's home.

"Daddy?" Azula says, picking up her pace and panicking. She's halfway across with Katara jumps out.

Azula's eyes narrow. Her look could kill.

"Get out of my way…" Her blue flames begin to cackle around each of her hands. She has no patience for this. "…And I won't hurt you."

"You won't hurt me," Katara tells her as she calls two large streams of water from the pond off to the side of them that swirl around each of her hands like great whips. She steps towards Azula, confidently.

. . . . .

Sokka lands on the roof of the next airship running, Toph still tightly attached to his chest. He knows they need to get off this one soon as he hears its great body groan with the stress of the impact. He races towards the other side when the machine suddenly lurches in the opposite direction, throwing Sokka and Toph in the direction they came from.

Toph tumbles out of Sokka's arms and screams, both in pain and fright.

"Toph!" He lunges for her fingers, but they're knocked farther down the side of the ship. Sokka tightly grips Toph's hand and his other hand frantically tries to find purchase on the ships side.

His skin burns and bleeds against all the metal, but he finally finds a ledge to hold on to.

"Grab tight," He tell Toph as he tries to lift her up. His muscles shake and falter. Sokka focuses everything he can on pulling her up, but she slips farther from his grip. "Hold on!" He screams at her.

But Toph knows they both can't hold on much longer. She can hear the metal of the ship straining against its own damage. Things are bursting on the inside.

"It's okay, Sokka," she says, loosening her own grip.

Tears pour out of the sides of Sokka's eyes. He's not willing to lose her too. Even though his other hand is slipping from its grip, he holds onto her as tightly as ever.

Toph looks up at him, even though she sees nothing, and gives him a reassuring smile.

"No," Sokka says, fighting to hold on.

She doesn't scream as she starts to fall but she does scream when she hits the surface of something hard.

"Suki!" Sokka yells, jumping down to join Toph as Suki brings one of the airships up to them through the clouds.

Suki has commandeered the vessel she was stranded on and brought it back into the fight.

She looks at her friends from the open window bay of the steering room, and Sokka quickly scoops up Toph and runs inside.


	18. The Fire Lord - Part 3

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Fire Lord – Part 3

* * *

In the Fire Nation's Palace courtyard, Azula and Katara are throwing everything they have at each other.

"Get out of my way, you filthy grunt!"

Azula summons more fire and screams with anger. She throws wave after wave of bright blue bolts of fires at Katara. With one hand, Katara blocks the flames with her water stream. She uses the other like a whip and knocks Azula to her feet when she's not looking.

Azula howls and hops back up to her feet. Katara immediately slaps her again with her long reigns of water, knocking Azula back in the other direction.

Azula forces fire from her feet and flies into an attacking position.

Katara turns, circling her water into a spinning loop around her.

A wicked smile cracks across Azula's face as she conjures a great ball of blue fire in each hand. She walks towards Katara, her posture is still that of a dignified princess, though she looks a mess. Her hair and clothing are drenched in water and sweat and her fair falls wildly about her face.

"Did Zuko tell you this is where we used to practice firebending as children? I never lost."

Zuko warned her that Azula would taunt her. "Don't give in to any of it," he told her.

Katara doesn't say a thing and glares at her, both hands ready to attack.

Fire suddenly erupts from Ozai's quarters and Azula looks up, horrified.

Katara doesn't hesitate. She pulls a great bulb of water from her loop and aims it at Azula. As soon as it hits her, Katara forces it into ice. She gets one hand, and while Azula burns through it, she gets the other, and then her face. Azula is able to break through all the ice, but it distracts her, and Katara keeps her assault coming, even sending some of the balls of water at her feet, also forming them into ice. Azula finally trips over one and falls over.

Katara sends more water to her. Each burst forming another stream that twists around Azula, trying to cover her with it and wrestle her down.

Azula screams and creates a great ball of electricity. It vaporizes most of Katara's water and rises her off the ground. Azula soars over Katara and lands on the other side of the courtyard.

"Did you hear me say I never lose!" She screams at her.

Katara backs up a few feet, her eyes wide, trying to anticipate Azula's next move.

But the cold and calculated Azula is cracking. Her eyes dart around the courtyard, searching for her next move. She pants, almost frothing at the mouth, wanting nothing more than to take Katara down.  
. . . . .

Sokka sets Toph down gently and runs to Suki frantically, grabbing her face fully and kissing her deeply on the lips.

Even though Toph can't see anything, she looks away.

"Suki…" Sokka is almost purring.

"You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily," she smirks.

"You're so good," he tells her, kissing her again. She smiles like she knows it. "How did you do it?"

"Took out all the soldiers and fought my way in here. The went back looking for you."

Her airship suddenly lurches fitfully, and they are thrown into each other. Not that either body minds, but they know they have to get off this ship soon.

"I'm not sure how much longer it's going to make it though."

Both stare at the window. Three Fire Nation airships still fly in formation, and they are approaching the Earth Kingdom coast and the little villages that dot the horizon. The oil and fire begin to pour from their fronts like a river of lava. It's more fire than either of them have ever seen.

Sokka's face get serious and Suki grips his hand. "Think we can reach them?"

Sokka plays with some of the levers and pulleys, jiggles the wheel of the great ship. He lets it go and it spins, veering off to the side, but he grips it again. The ship groans and shutters, but it does what he tells it.

"We don't need to," he tells her.

"What do you mean?" Suki knows Sokka isn't going to let those ships burn the Earth Kingdom.

"I'm going to take us down to the water, so we can jump out. But first I'm going to put this thing on a collision course straight to them."

"Are you sure you can hit them?" Toph asks.

"Have you me throw my boomerang?"

"No." Toph says emphatically.

"Fair point," Sokka says with a small chuckle. "Well I can aim, don't worry. I just need you guys to get down to the bottom port…"

"We're not leaving you!" Toph says.

"Toph," Sokka's voice suddenly becomes serious. "We need to jump as soon as I get this thing near the water. But I also gotta lock it on course to hit the other ships. As soon as I do that, I'm running down to jump. But It's going to take Suki a few minutes to carry you down…."

"Okay," Toph says weakly, understanding the plan.

The ship jostles as Sokka lets go of the wheel and walks over to them.

"Don't worry," he tells Toph, placing his hand reassuringly on hers. "I might even beat you. I'm pretty fast."

Suki takes his face in her hands softly and kisses him. He returns a passionate kiss.

"You guys need to get moving," he tells them, reclaiming the wheel and holding strong.

Suki goes over and puts her arm under Toph's shoulder so they can start to move.

 _I love you,_ Sokka mouths to her. Suki smiles and nods.

"I'll be right behind you," he tells them. He wrestles to control the wheel as they start to walk down the hall.

. . . . .

Ozai bursts through the fallen rubble with explosive power and rises. There, Zuko is standing in front of him, his twin swords brandished, ready to strike.

"Swords, some firebender you are," Ozai says, disgusted, "where's your honor!?"

"This isn't about my honor," Zuko says plainly. He knows he can't beat his father using fire alone. "This is about saving the world."

Ozai laughs with disdain and begins to call fire into his hands.

"You don't have what it takes. You never did," Ozai says smugly.

Ozai pulls one hand behind him, ready to throw a great ball of flame at his son, but Zuko spins in front of him, almost too quick to be seen. His twin swords are flying, and he plunges the right one through his father's left hand before his fire bust can leave him.

Ozai falls to his knees and screams. He looks at his hand, horrified as blood gushes from the wound.

Ozai's eyes flash with fear for a moment, and he sees Zuko swing his left blade, aiming for his neck.

Just before Zuko's blade reaches its target, Ozai brings his other hand up and grabs onto the sword. He screams again. It slices through some skin and bone, but Ozai catches it and pushes back.

Fire rages around his two wounded hands and in his eyes. Zuko doesn't flinch, even as he gets burned. He just presses harder against his father, and the two men continue to struggle.

. . . . .

Azula sends blast after blasts of blue flames at Katara, who now has to retreat. She calls more water to it, but Azula is quick this time. She blasts her lightning at it, and it sizzles away. Katara tries to take a moment and conjure water from the air, but takes too much time and Azula throws a line of fire at her. Katara has to abandon her attempt and run.

Azula cackles as she watches the firebender try and hide. She tosses back her hair and shakes her body out, exhilarated by the attack.

Azula searches the courtyard, knowing she has to keep Katara as far away from pond as possible. Katara has retreated to the covered patio area, hiding behind a column. When she sticks her head out to the right, Azula sends a wave of fire to it, and when she tries to go to the left, Azula burns that side too.

Katara flattens herself behind the column and has nowhere else to go. She desperately wonders what she can do. But there is nothing but a stone wall before her and Azula behind. She tries to bend water from the air, but Azula's fires are too constant and too hot. She wills water from the pond across the yard, but without being able to see it, her effort doesn't work. She even tries to bloodbend, but since it's the day, and the day of Sozin's Comet, she can't access those powers.

"Come on, little girl," Azula taunts, "I thought you wanted to play?" She throws wave after wave of flames at her, but Katara doesn't move, and after a several minutes of this, Azula grows board, and she looks for some new way to torture her opponent.

Azula's eyes search the courtyard area. She knows the pond is in the opposite corner, and she needs to keep Katara away from that. One the other side is an open area where she usually trains.

Azula's eyes suddenly snap in that direction. She sees several barrels of the oil her father is using in the attack today. Azula has several containers brought in so she could train with it. A wicked smile crosses her lips.

Azula beings throwing flames only to one side of the column, and as she attacks from one side, Katara is pushed out and forced to run.

With the pond finally in sight, Katara calls some water from it, and sends spears of ice back at Azula. Azula just laughs, easily blasting the ice away as she forces Katara into the corner with the barrels, her little length of water hovering before her, not knowing what to do.

She just needs one good blast and Katara will be done for.

. . . . .

It's difficult for Suki and Toph to move through the ship. So much of it is damaged and filled with debris. Toph moans as Suki tries to help her through the tangled routes. But after a few minutes, they reach the bottom landing. Toph senses a metal door and shoots it out. The water is only about 50 of so feet below them, and it's coming closer.

She can feel the vessel shake and shutter as Sokka redirects the thrusts to fly back up.

"Remember I can't swim," Toph says, her voice small and scared.

"I know," Suki says, holding her young friend tight. "I won't let you go."

The airship lurches as it shifts directions.

Suki knows it is time. "We need to jump," she tells Toph.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sokka?"

Suki looks back through the damaged passageways of the airship.

"He's right behind us," she tells Toph, holding her hand tightly as they jump.

. . . . .

Zuko and his father continue to struggle, his blades against his father's hands and fire. Despite all his pain, Ozai doesn't give in. His fire surges from his bleeding hands. He forces it up Zuko's blades, popping and spitting in every direction. It's unfocused, but strong.

Zuko can feel the flames begin to singe his skin and he has to turn his face away to avoid the blinding heat.

The second his son looks away, Ozai conjures fire in his throat. His about to spit it out at his son, when Zuko here's the gargling, roiling sound of the fire, looks back at his father, and jumps away, taking his two blades with him.

Ozai falls to his hands and knees. He pants and laughs and spits. He then looks up at his son with mad and cruel eyes.

"I told you you couldn't do it," Ozai says with a sick laugh as he tries to pick himself up. "You're not strong enough to kill me. No one is!"

Zuko stares at his father on his hands and knees before him. Zuko remembers when their positions were switched, when Zuko cowered before his father, begging mercy, and Ozai showed him none.

His father isn't even asking for mercy now, and even if he were, Zuko would give him none.

He swings his sword into position, eyes narrowing on their target, and begins to strike.

. . . . .

Katara faces Azula, her length of water shaking before her as she's backed into a corner of the courtyard.

Katara eyes dart around, looking for a way to attack, a way to take Azula down. She remembers what Zuko told her.

"She'll taunt you, don't give in to any of it. And she'll exploit any weakness you have, don't ever let your guard down."

Electricity begins to crackle around her fingers as Azula takes steps closer to Katara.

"Well, this was fun, but really, I have more important things to do today…"

Azula shoots a beam of her blue lightening straight towards her. Katara throws her water right into it. The lightning splits and crashes into the rock wall behind her, bringing it down and knocking the barrels on their sides.

Katara can hear the crashing behind her, but doesn't dare look away. She keeps her eyes tight on Azula who's smile falters for one second before returning.

One of the barrels has cracked open and its dark liquid is spilling out, the puddle growing larger and larger. She knows she just needs to get Katara to step into it, and she'll be able to take her out.

Azula pushes Katara back farther and farther with short bursts of flame, and Katara deflects them all barely with her dwindling supply of water. She's beginning to feel the heat on her fingers, and she's wondering why Azula is going easy on her as she retreats. She knows Azula has more firepower than this.

As Katara continues stepping backwards. Her eyes are wide and open, trying to figure out what Azula's plan is.

She takes one more step backwards. She feels something and sees smile shoot across Azula's lips. Katara looks down and see the thick black liquid that's pouring out of the broken barrels. It oozes over her feet. Her eyes widen in horror as she remembers what the general told her and her friends about Ozai's plan; how he was filling all his ships with a hot, burning liquid so he could make sure everything burned.

Lightning begins to form around Azula's fingers as she points them at Katara.

Katara doesn't even think about what she's doing. She throws every last bit of water in her range at Azula and hoists the black liquid several feet in the air above her.

Azula's lightning is doused and she can't believe what she's seeing. Her eyes almost twitch.

Katara struggles, she's never bended anything light this before, and it's immensely heavier than water, but she's able to keep it aloft.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The next chapter is the one that will have two versions, just a heads up. Please only read the first version if you want to know which character(s) dies, and read version two if you want everyone to live. I hope you are enjoying it!


	19. The Fire Lord - Part 4 ; Version A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting two versions of this chapter. Version A is my preferred version: we feel the stakes of the battle because character(s) die. However, it's not the story I initially set out to tell. My initial vision was to stick as close to the spirit of the show, just adding some more Zutara elements and giving Katara more agency in her love life. So, since I didn't tag this as having Main Character death or anything like that, I'm going to post this chapter again (Version B) where everyone lives, just like the show, for readers who prefer that ending.
> 
> If you prefer the Version B where no one dies, please do not read this chapter and jump ahead to the next. Again, though, this is the chapter that I think makes for a better story, so maybe grab a box of tissues and read on!
> 
> As always, I'd love to know what you guys think!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Fire Lord – Part 4 (Version A – Deaths)

* * *

Zuko's swords slice through the air, their aim certain and strong.

Ozai tries to get up, but can't and his eyes fill with horror as he realizes his son is bringing his blades to his neck.

But just before Zuko's swords find their mark, Zuko is pushes aside, a gust of strong wind slides him several feet away.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Aang says, his voice otherworldly in the Avatar State. Aang descends into the room and situates himself directly in front of Ozai, his eyes and tattoos blaring white.

Ozai struggles to get on his knees and faces the Avatar. He looks at him smugly. "I know you're not going to kill me," he says with contempt.

"No," Aang says and he places his hand on Ozai's forehead.

Aang's whole body begins to glow the same bright white as his eyes and tattoos. The light covers all his skin and then begins to cover Ozai.

Ozai eyes fill with terror and he begins to scream.

"What are you doing to me!? What is this?! No!?"

Zuko's weapons fall to his side as he watches and wonders what exactly is going on.

"You have used your powers to throw the world out of balance," Aang tells him, his white light spreading over the Fire Lord slowly as the two men test their strength. "You used your powers for evil, to bring terror and anguish to the world…"

Aang's light moves forward and then backwards a bit as Ozai fights against him.

"…And so, I am taking your powers away."

. . . . .

Azula laughs manically. She can't believe what she's seeing. Katara stands several yards away from her, her hands up in the hair, hoisting a great sheet of the black liquid up.

"You know, you really should have left when I told you to," Azula says, sauntering forward. "You didn't have to go down with my pathetic brother."

Katara's eyes stay sharp on Azula's hands, beginning to twitch with fire.

"Oh, yes, I know Zuzu is here," Azula has heard the fighting and seen the fire burst from her father's quarters. "If he's lucky, father will kill him, but daddy does so enjoy inventing punishments…."

Katara struggles to hold the oil above her. She sweats and her muscles strain.

"…You think if I ask him nicely, he'll let me decide what to do to you?"

Azula begins to twist her body into a powerful firebending form, but before she's able to come out of it, Katara has thrown all the black liquid onto her. Her whole body is covered, and she looks like a drowned animal, but her eyes are wide and wild.

Azula screams. She tries to shake some of it off of her, but it's too heavy and just sticks. "What do you think you are doing?" She brings her hands in front of her. Katara recognizes the sign of her firebending form.

"Don't do it!" Katara screams, running a few steps closer to her. She knows that if Azula tries to firebend, her whole body will catch alight.

Azula just laughs and continues going through her move.

. . . . .

Ozai's eyes fill with horror as Aang's white energy overtakes him and covers him entirely. Ozai looks desperately to his son, and screams.

"Don't let him do this to me! Zuko, please!" Ozai begs his son as he feels his powers drain from him, "Stop him, stop him! Please!"

Zuko takes a step forward, his two blades still in each hand. He only watches.

Aang's white energy is covering them both completely, It glows as it radiates throughout both of their bodies and then slowly begins to subside, returning to Aang and taking all of Ozai's power with it.

Aang takes a step back, exiting his Avatar State, and Ozai falls to the ground.

Ozai writhes and spits, trying desperately to source his firebending. But nothing comes of it. It whines and mewls desperately.

"There's another fleet of airships, twenty or so heading from the southern base. Suki and Sokka went to stop them, but I don't know…"

Aang just nods. He reenters his Avatar State and rises off the ground, flying in that direction.

"Kill me!" Ozai says, looking deeply into his son's eyes, "Zuko, I'd rather be dead, kill me, please! I know you want to! You know I deserve it!"

Zuko approaches his father, his eyes hard and fierce. Zuko whips his dual swords around him, swinging them one, then twice, around him.

Ozai's eyes grow wide.

Zuko swings his swords around again and brings the hilt hard down on his father's head, knocking him unconscious.

. . . . .

Suki and Toph crash into the water. The water is dark and cold and Toph screams as Suki is nearly pulled away from her, but Suki grips her hand tightly and pulls the young girl to the surface, where Toph takes in a big breath with a scream.

The harsh waves hit her from all directions and she's completely disoriented, and her leg feels like it's burning again in the salt water.

"Where's Sokka?" Toph asks, clinging tightly to Suki.

Suki stares up at the airship, the port door still visible as the machine starts soaring upwards, pointed directly at the last three ships.

Their fire has just reached land. The trees on the coast begin to burn. More fire is pouring from the fronts of those three ships than Suki has ever seen in her life.

. . . . .

The second fire appears in Azula's hands, the oil catches and her whole body is engulfed in flames.

Azula screams, both angry and terrified.

Katara jumps into a bending form. She crosses her arms in front of her and whips them furiously to the side. With all her might, she's able to pulls the burning liquid off of Azula, and it lands into two blazing pools on either side of the courtyard.

Azula is left standing, smoking slightly, and looking deranged.

She points her fingers at Katara, getting ready to bend again. Katara stares at her wide-eyed, not knowing what to do.

"Enough!" Zuko yells, dropping the body of his unconscious father at his feet.

"What did you do?" Azula screams, something inside her snapping.

Zuko confidently walks down to her.

Azula's eyes don't leave her father's body for a few moments. She doesn't understand what she's seeing. But then snap on Zuko and focus with fury and fire. "He's our father!" she screams.

"Doesn't matter," Zuko tells her. He's keeping his voice calm and controlled as he positions himself between her and Katara.

"He's the Fire Lord!" Azula spits with anger.

"Not anymore," Zuko tells her. "He's not the fire nothing now."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Avatar took away his ability to bend…he's powerless."

Azula has the look of something unholy. She summons deep blue flames around each arm and throws them towards Zuko with all her might.

He centers himself, and raises his arms to fight, throwing his own fire back at her.

Their fires smash into each other creating a wall of orange and blue that crosses the entire courtyard.

Azula lets out a maddened cry and runs towards her brother, punching and kicking bolts of fire at him as she pivots through the air. Zuko is able to knock aside each one.

She pants, looking furious. "Do you think you can get away with this!?"

She sends several more bursts of fire at him. Zuko knocks each one aside.

But Zuko is undaunted. Now that his father has been dealt with, and Aang is stopping the fire fleet to the south, the only threat left is Azula. And Zuko knows he can take her.

"There will be consequences!" She screams at him.

Azula is nearly choking on her laughter as she swivels, looking for her next move.

He's still standing calm, his hands at the ready, on guard.

She brings her hands up, twitching slightly, her eyes shooting daggers of hate. She's tired from her fight with Katara, but she won't let her brother win.

Just as she thinks this, she sees Katara, standing off to the side. Her eyes dart in that direction and a wicked smile splits her face.

Zuko notices his sister's reaction. He looks behind him and sees Katara standing there, then back to his sister and the lightning growing in her hands.

"No!" he screams running in front of Katara.

Azula's blue bolts fly. She's given this everything she's got. Her brother Jumps in front of them, shielding Katara with his body, taking in the full blasts.

"Zuko!" Katara screams as she watches him fall hard on the ground.

. . . . . .

"Where's Sokka!" Toph screams spiting out the salty water that washes over her relentlessly.

Suki doesn't loosen her grip around the girl's arm, but her eyes are still glued to her boyfriend's ship.

It climbs higher and higher, and the door grows smaller and smaller, aimed perfectly at the last three ships.

Suki doesn't look away until the moment before the collision.

She has to close her eyes. A massive explosion fills the sky with fire and noise.

"Sokka!?" Toph screams, flailing her arms wildly, fighting at Suki. "Where is he? What just happened!? What was that sound!?"

Great hunks of the airships careen through the air, falling dangerously around them.

"Come on," Suki says, beginning to pull Toph towards safety.

"Not without Sokka! Where is he? What's happening!?"

The pieces hiss and gargle as they hit the ocean.

Suki grips tighter and tries to pull but Toph keeps fighting her.

"Toph!" Suki struggles to keep ahold of her, "He didn't make it," Suki screams, hating that Toph is making her say it, but she knows it's not the young girl's fault. "Now come on," Suki says a bit more softly, "we need to get out of here."

And Suki starts swimming away as burning pieces of metal and machinery fall from the sky.

. . . . .

Azula's look is deadly and focused on Katara.

Zuko convulses and groan. No matter how hard he tries, he can't make himself get up.

"Your turn," Azula says, she pulls her arms in front of her, calling another lightning strike to her fingers, and points them at Katara.

Katara's eyes search wide, for anything she can use as cover, any place she can hide. But all she sees is the courtyard, wrecks from all the fighting, the great pools of oil still burning on each side.

Azula's bolts rocket from her fingers.

Katara isn't even thinking about what she's doing as she does it, but she calls the oil to her again, and, even though it's burning, the liquid still obeys her and swirl in front of each of her arms outward like a whip.

She struggles, barely able to control the weight, but she's able. She swings the two ropes of it in front of her, and it not only blocks Azula's blow, but absorbs it. The fires swirling around Katara grows, and she swings them at Azula.

Azula looks at her, barely understanding.

Katara slaps one burning rope of liquid down, near Azula's left side, and Azula steps backwards.

She continues this motion, bringing each side down like the snap of a whip and forcing Azula backward, each lash getting closer and closer to her feet, forcing her to retreat.

Azula sends a few weakened bolts to her, but Katara is undeterred. It only adds to her fire. Kartara controls this liquid, these flames, and she throws it all back at Azula.

Her eyes fill with fear as she takes another step back, Katara landing each new fiery lash closer and closer to her feet.

Azula is trying desperately to consider her next move when she stumbles. She's reached the edge of the pond and falls into it with a scream.

This is exactly what Katara was waiting for. She immediately tosses the burning liquid aside and grabs Azula with the pond's water. Azula tries to pull herself away, but Katara freezes it, locking the Fire Princess in place.

She runs over, grabs a length of chain she noticed by the oil barrels, and approaches Azula. She pushes the ice block out of the pond and sets it gently down with her waterbending. Katara begins to warp the chain around Azula, pinning her arms behind her, and letting little bits of the ice block melt slowly as she tightens it again and again.

Once she's certain Azula is tightly chained, she lets all the ice and water fall away.

Azula falls to her knees screaming. Angry-full throated wails mixed with flames. She struggles, writhing around, and eventually falls down.

She watches Katara run over to Zuko. Katara turns him over tenderly, and Azula watches as she heals him with her water, the beautiful blue light dancing above his skin.

Azula snorts, disgusted, and scream more fire at them, but they're too far away for it to reach.

"Thank you, Katara," he whispers gruffly, clearly still in pain.

Azula can't bare to watch them, thinking them pathetic, weak and miserable.

She flops to her other side, which is a far less comfortable position, and sees her father, still lying unconscious on the stairs.

"Daddy?" she says weakly, beginning to crumble. She strains to get closer to him, but cannot move herself forward.

Katara helps Zuko up and holds onto him as they watch her.

"No! No! No!". Azula's voice the sound of suffering. She keeps struggling, and then starts crying as shrieks violently.

Katara has to look away, tears welling in her eyes.

. . . . .

Aang arrives above the wreckage of the Fire Nation's airships. He hovers high up in the air, his eyes and tattoos ablaze, assessing the damage and searching for signs of life.

He shoots a great crack into the land, separating the burning forest trees that are running up the coast and protecting the nearby villages. Aang then calls up a great wave, wiping out the fire. He does the same, extinguishing the blazes that still burn on all the war ships. As he does this, he senses many lives struggling in the waters. Aang pulls them all out gently with great waves of water, setting everyone down softly on the land. They're all Fire Nation soldiers except for the few he notices are his friends.

When Aang finishes his work, he lands near Toph and Suki and comes out of his Avatar state. He looks to them both, sensing anger and pain.

"Where's Sokka?" Aang asks.

Toph turns her back to him and begins crying, burying her face in her hands, trying to muffle her loud and painful sobs.

Tears begin to form in Aang's eyes as he understands. He looks to Suki.

She just gently shakes her head.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Alright, here's the first version! It was hard to write, but as I spent time in the world, with these characters, and with this conflict (ie – Ozai wanting to burn the world), it just seemed "cheap" (for lack of a better word?) for everyone to make it. And as I thought about who might die, if there seemed to be a natural way for the story to go, it just seemed like it was obviously Sokka. I really love his character, how he always does what's right and never back down, is never afraid, even when he's vastly outnumbered and outpowered. I love how he stands up to Zuko and Jet in season one, and I love how his moral compass always seems to be pretty true. I don't think Sokka would let anything stop him from preventing anymore Fire Nation destruction, so it seems like this was his destiny to me.
> 
> Did it work for you? Feel like a natural extension of the story? I tried to pepper in a bit of foreshadowing, but hope it wasn't too heavy handed. I believe it was impossible for Sokka to lock that wheel in place on that ship (which is why it moves so much when he was saying goodbye to Suki and Toph). He couldn't risk it not hitting his mark, so he stayed steering to the very end.
> 
> I also have an issue with the Aang's argument that killing is just wrong, because I think Zuko and Sokka were right in arguing that sometimes if you don't kill someone and more people die, that's way worse than killing the one person to begin with. I like Aang's pure heart, but, I just couldn't let it get off too squeaky clean.
> 
> I also kind of like the idea of Toph, our stout hearted and fearless little warrior breaking down over something. I really like the idea of her having a crush of Sokka (which, the show kind of hints at) and I hope I honored at least kind of well here. I know it's really sad, but these emotional ups and downs and contrasts are what make for good stories, so I hope it's working for you all too.
> 
> Regarding Azula, oof, her breakdown was painful and heartbreaking in the show, but I also didn't quite buy it there. I do believe she's a sociopath since she was mean to animals as a kid (getting joy out of hurting the turtleduck babies) and jealous of her friends (that scene where she pushes Ty Lee right after she does a better cartwheel than Azula). Sadly, I'm not sure there was ever much hope for her, but I do believe her father twisted that nature to his will and made Azula much much worse. If Azula loves or cares about anyone, it's probably him. She's at least drawn to his power and cares very much about impressing him. So I think her breaking over his downfall makes more sense than her abandonment by Mai and Ty Lee. This isn't a huge sticking point for me, but I thought I'd play with it.
> 
> Finally, I really really wish the show had at least played with Zuko confronting his father while Aang was missing. I just like the juxtaposition about his dad cruelling taunting him about not being able to kill him, then wanting Zuko to do that in the end. I just like nice little twists like that.
> 
> I hope it was a good ride for all of you!


	20. The Fire Lord - Part 4; Version B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting two versions of this chapter. Version A is my preferred version: we feel the stakes of the battle because character(s) die. However, it's not the story I initially set out to tell. My initial vision was to stick as close to the spirit of the show, just adding some more Zutara elements and giving Katara more agency in her love life. So, since I didn't tag this as having Main Character death or anything like that, I'm going to post this chapter again (Version B) where everyone lives, just like the show.
> 
> If you prefer the version with higher stakes, please do not read this chapter and jump back to the previous one. 
> 
> As always, I'd love to know what you guys think!

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Fire Lord – Part 4 (Version B – No Deaths :)

* * *

Zuko's swords slice through the air, their aim certain and strong.

Ozai tries to get up, but can't and his eyes fill with horror as he realizes his son is bringing his blades to his neck.

But just before Zuko's swords find their mark, Zuko is pushes aside, a gust of strong wind slides him several feet away.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Aang says, his voice otherworldly in the Avatar State. Aang descends into the room and situates himself directly in front of Ozai, his eyes and tattoos blaring white.

Ozai struggles to get on his knees and faces the Avatar. He looks at him smugly. "I know you're not going to kill me," he says with contempt.

"No," Aang says and he places his hand on Ozai's forehead.

Aang's whole body begins to glow the same bright white as his eyes and tattoos. The light covers all his skin and then begins to cover Ozai.

Ozai eyes fill with terror and he begins to scream.

"What are you doing to me!? What is this?! No!?"

Zuko's weapons fall to his side as he watches and wonders what exactly is going on.

"You have used your powers to throw the world out of balance," Aang tells him, his white light spreading over the Fire Lord slowly as the two men test their strength. "You used your powers for evil, to bring terror and anguish to the world…"

Aang's light moves forward and then backwards a bit as Ozai fights against him.

"…And so, I am taking your powers away."

. . . . .

Azula laughs manically. She can't believe what she's seeing. Katara stands several yards away from her, her hands up in the hair, hoisting a great sheet of the black liquid up.

"You know, you really should have left when I told you to," Azula says, sauntering forward. "You didn't have to go down with my pathetic brother."

Katara's eyes stay sharp on Azula's hands, beginning to twitch with fire.

"Oh, yes, I know Zuzu is here," Azula has heard the fighting and seen the fire burst from her father's quarters. "If he's lucky, father will kill him, but daddy does so enjoy inventing punishments…."

Katara struggles to hold the oil above her. She sweats and her muscles strain.

"…You think if I ask him nicely, he'll let me decide what to do to you?"

Azula begins to twist her body into a powerful firebending form, but before she's able to come out of it, Katara has thrown all the black liquid onto her. Her whole body is covered, and she looks like a drowned animal, but her eyes are wide and wild.

Azula screams. She tries to shake some of it off of her, but it's too heavy and just sticks. "What do you think you are doing?" She brings her hands in front of her. Katara recognizes the sign of her firebending form.

"Don't do it!" Katara screams, running a few steps closer to her. She knows that if Azula tries to firebend, her whole body will catch alight.

Azula just laughs and continues going through her move.

. . . . .

Ozai's eyes fill with horror as Aang's white energy overtakes him and covers him entirely. Ozai looks desperately to his son, and screams.

"Don't let him do this to me! Zuko, please!" Ozai begs his son as he feels his powers drain from him, "Stop him, stop him! Please!"

Zuko takes a step forward, his two blades still in each hand. He only watches.

Aang's white energy is covering them both completely, It glows as it radiates throughout both of their bodies and then slowly begins to subside, returning to Aang and taking all of Ozai's power with it.

Aang takes a step back, exiting his Avatar State, and Ozai falls to the ground.

Ozai writhes and spits, trying desperately to source his firebending. But nothing comes of it. It whines and mewls desperately.

"There's another fleet of airships, twenty or so heading from the southern base. Suki and Sokka went to stop them, but I don't know…"

Aang just nods. He reenters his Avatar State and rises off the ground, flying in that direction.

"Kill me!" Ozai says, looking deeply into his son's eyes, "Zuko, I'd rather be dead, kill me, please! I know you want to! You know I deserve it!"

Zuko approaches his father, his eyes hard and fierce. Zuko whips his dual swords around him, swinging them one, then twice, around him.

Ozai's eyes grow wide.

Zuko swings his swords around again and brings the hilt hard down on his father's head, knocking him unconscious.

. . . . .

Suki and Toph crash into the water. The water is dark and cold and Toph screams as Suki is nearly pulled away from her, but Suki grips her hand tightly and pulls the young girl to the surface, where Toph takes in a big breath with a scream.

The harsh waves hit her from all directions and she's completely disoriented, and her leg feels like it's burning again in the salt water.

"Where's Sokka?" Toph asks, clinging tightly to Suki.

Suki stares up at the airship, the port door still visible as the machine starts soaring upwards, pointed directly at the last three ships.

Their fire has just reached land. The trees on the coast begin to burn. More fire is pouring from the fronts of those three ships than Suki has ever seen in her life.

. . . . .

The second fire appears in Azula's hands, the oil catches and her whole body is engulfed in flames.

Azula screams, both angry and terrified.

Katara jumps into a bending form. She crosses her arms in front of her and whips them furiously to the side. With all her might, she's able to pulls the burning liquid off of Azula, and it lands into two blazing pools on either side of the courtyard.

Azula is left standing, smoking slightly, and looking deranged.

She points her fingers at Katara, getting ready to bend again. Katara stares at her wide-eyed, not knowing what to do.

"Enough!" Zuko yells, dropping the body of his unconscious father at his feet.

"What did you do?" Azula screams, something inside her snapping.

Zuko confidently walks down to her.

Azula's eyes don't leave her father's body for a few moments. She doesn't understand what she's seeing. But then snap on Zuko and focus with fury and fire. "He's our father!" she screams.

"Doesn't matter," Zuko tells her. He's keeping his voice calm and controlled as he positions himself between her and Katara.

"He's the Fire Lord!" Azula spits with anger.

"Not anymore," Zuko tells her. "He's not the fire nothing now."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Avatar took away his ability to bend…he's powerless."

Azula has the look of something unholy. She summons deep blue flames around each arm and throws them towards Zuko with all her might.

He centers himself, and raises his arms to fight, throwing his own fire back at her.

Their fires smash into each other creating a wall of orange and blue that crosses the entire courtyard.

Azula lets out a maddened cry and runs towards her brother, punching and kicking bolts of fire at him as she pivots through the air. Zuko is able to knock aside each one.

She pants, looking furious. "Do you think you can get away with this!?"

She sends several more bursts of fire at him. Zuko knocks each one aside.

But Zuko is undaunted. Now that his father has been dealt with, and Aang is stopping the fire fleet to the south, the only threat left is Azula. And Zuko knows he can take her.

"There will be consequences!" She screams at him.

Azula is nearly choking on her laughter as she swivels, looking for her next move.

He's still standing calm, his hands at the ready, on guard.

She brings her hands up, twitching slightly, her eyes shooting daggers of hate. She's tired from her fight with Katara, but she won't let her brother win.

Just as she thinks this, she sees Katara, standing off to the side. Her eyes dart in that direction and a wicked smile splits her face.

Zuko notices his sister's reaction. He looks behind him and sees Katara standing there, then back to his sister and the lightning growing in her hands.

"No!" he screams running in front of Katara.

Azula's blue bolts fly. She's given this everything she's got. Her brother Jumps in front of them, shielding Katara with his body, taking in the full blasts.

"Zuko!" Katara screams as she watches him fall hard on the ground.

. . . . . .

"Where's Sokka!" Toph screams, spiting out the salty water that washes over her relentlessly.

Suki doesn't loosen her grip around the girl's arm, but her eyes are still glued to her boyfriend's ship.

It climbs higher and higher, and the door grows smaller and smaller, aimed perfectly at the last three ships.

Suki prepares herself for the worst, allowing her heart to accept the truth when she suddenly sees Sokka poke his head out. With a great scream, Sokka throws himself out of the vessel, his arms flailing through the air as he tries to form a dive.

He hits the water hard and comes gasping up for air, swimming over to the girls and taking them protectively in his arms as the ships collide.

All four create a massive explosion that rockets through the air. Sokka tries to shield both their heads with his arms as he watches their metal cages crash into the sea.

"Come on," he says, looping one arm around Toph and letting Suki loop hers around the other, and they start to swim to shore.

. . . . .

Azula's look is deadly and focused on Katara.

Zuko convulses and groan. No matter how hard he tries, he can't make himself get up.

"Your turn," Azula says, she pulls her arms in front of her, calling another lightning strike to her fingers, and points them at Katara.

Katara's eyes search wide, for anything she can use as cover, any place she can hide. But all she sees is the courtyard, wrecks from all the fighting, the great pools of oil still burning on each side.

Azula's bolts rocket from her fingers.

Katara isn't even thinking about what she's doing as she does it, but she calls the oil to her again, and, even though it's burning, the liquid still obeys her and swirl in front of each of her arms outward like a whip.

She struggles, barely able to control the weight, but she's able. She swings the two ropes of it in front of her, and it not only blocks Azula's blow, but absorbs it. The fires swirling around Katara grows, and she swings them at Azula.

Azula looks at her, barely understanding.

Katara slaps one burning rope of liquid down, near Azula's left side, and Azula steps backwards.

She continues this motion, bringing each side down like the snap of a whip and forcing Azula backward, each lash getting closer and closer to her feet, forcing her to retreat.

Azula sends a few weakened bolts to her, but Katara is undeterred. It only adds to her fire. Kartara controls this liquid, these flames, and she throws it all back at Azula.

Her eyes fill with fear as she takes another step back, Katara landing each new fiery lash closer and closer to her feet.

Azula is trying desperately to consider her next move when she stumbles. She's reached the edge of the pond and falls into it with a scream.

This is exactly what Katara was waiting for. She immediately tosses the burning liquid aside and grabs Azula with the pond's water. Azula tries to pull herself away, but Katara freezes it, locking the Fire Princess in place.

She runs over, grabs a length of chain she noticed by the oil barrels, and approaches Azula. She pushes the ice block out of the pond and sets it gently down with her waterbending. Katara begins to warp the chain around Azula, pinning her arms behind her, and letting little bits of the ice block melt slowly as she tightens it again and again.

Once she's certain Azula is tightly chained, she lets all the ice and water fall away.

Azula falls to her knees screaming. Angry-full throated wails mixed with flames. She struggles, writhing around, and eventually falls down.

She watches Katara run over to Zuko. Katara turns him over tenderly, and Azula watches as she heals him with her water, the beautiful blue light dancing above his skin.

Azula snorts, disgusted, and scream more fire at them, but they're too far away for it to reach.

"Thank you, Katara," he whispers gruffly, clearly still in pain.

Azula can't bare to watch them, thinking them pathetic, weak and miserable.

She flops to her other side, which is a far less comfortable position, and sees her father, still lying unconscious on the stairs.

"Daddy?" she says weakly, beginning to crumble. She strains to get closer to him, but cannot move herself forward.

Katara helps Zuko up and holds onto him as they watch her.

"No! No! No!". Azula's voice the sound of suffering. She keeps struggling, and then starts crying as shrieks violently.

Katara has to look away, tears welling in her eyes.

. . . . .

Aang arrives above the wreckage of the Fire Nation's airships. He hovers high up in the air, his eyes and tattoos ablaze, assessing the damage and searching for signs of life.

He shoots a great crack into the land, separating the burning forest trees that are running up the coast and protecting the nearby villages. Aang then calls up a great wave, wiping out the fire. He does the same, extinguishing the blazes that still burn on all the war ships. As he does this, he senses many lives struggling in the waters. Aang pulls them all out gently with great waves of water, setting everyone down softly on the land. They're all Fire Nation soldiers except for the few he notices are his friends.

When Aang finishes his work, he lands near Sokka, Toph and Suki and comes out of his Avatar state.

They are all panting. Suki is tending Toph's injured leg and Sokka is doubled over, clutching his knees as he spits out water and tries to catch his breath.

When he's able, he lifts himself up and looks around. He sees the skies begin to clear as Sozin's Comet passes away, and the fires from all the wreckage have nearly died down.

Sokka looks over to Aang with a big grin on his face and gives the young Avatar a thumbs up.

"Good work, buddy," Sokka says with a heavy breath. "I think we did it."

Aang smiles and nods, also looking around. "Yeah, we did."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And there it is guys! Don't worry, this is still not quite the end. Still have to deal with that balcony scene, but Ozai is down and everybody lived.
> 
> I really struggle with writing the fight scenes, so if anybody has any feedback on those, I'd greatly appreciate it. I hope they worked well enough, but think they are way better when they are visually communicated rather than in verbs.
> 
> I also hoped you guys liked Zuko being able to confront his father. I would have liked to see that in the show. I'm also curious what people think about Azula here. I don't disagree with how they played out her breakdown in the show, but I thought it was interested to explore her relationship with her father more here. I think if there was anyone's who's opinion she really cared about, it was his, so that was probably just as good an impetus for a breakdown as any.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! The final chapter/s coming soon!


	21. Epilogue Culminating in an Obligatory Balcony Scene (Version A)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Don't worry, it'll be different. 😊
> 
> Please note, this is version A that deals with character(s) death. If you wish for the other version, please jump ahead to the next chapter. Thanks!

Epilogue Culminating in an Obligatory Balcony Scene (Version A)

* * *

Aang calls Appa to him and carries Suki and Toph back to the Fire Nation capitol. The night air is crisp, clean, and the skies have returned to their true blues now that the comet has passed.

Toph hasn't stopped crying since Aang rescued them, though she says it's only because of the pain in her leg. Suki has said very little and remains stone-faced, her attention mostly focused on treating Toph's wounds.

Aang wants to ask them desperately what happened to Sokka, but he's afraid, and maybe a little ashamed, to. He flew up, searching high and far when he first realized. But he found nothing. The look Suki gave him when he returned nearly crushed him.

Aang hung his face, feeling like a failure, but Suki just hated herself for having had any hope—hope maybe the Avatar could have magically done something, found Sokka, saved him. She cursed herself for being so stupid, so weak. She knew that wasn't the way of a warrior.

When Appa lands in the Fire Nation, they see the wreckage from Katara's and Zuko's battles, but it's being cleaned up, and a strange calm covers the area.

Luckily, the guards and servants have agreed to follow Zuko. Zuko thinks himself lucky that they like him, though it's probably more true that they just hated his father and sister more. He was afraid, briefly, they might try to arrest him and Katara, but they called him "My Prince," and awaited instruction.

Zuko knows things will become difficult with the other noble families and fire mages, and he hopes his Uncle will be able to help him sort that all out, but at least, in the palace, the attendants liked him.

He supposed it helped the situation that Azula was threatening to murder anyone who touched her.

"I'll claw out your eyes and eat your tongue, your worthless piece of garbage! Don't you know who I am? What I can do? Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" she'd screamed as they took her away.

Zuko's father Ozai didn't say a thing when the guards took him. He just glared at Zuko with a look of pure contempt.

Zuko was proud he was able to stand tall and meet his father's gaze, mostly unaffected. He doesn't know if he'll have any feeling later about everything that went down that day, but as he took Katara under his arm and looked at her, he felt not only good but right.

The pair is sitting on the floor at a low table in one of the undamaged palace rooms starting to eat when they hear Appa's great footfalls.

A smile breaks across Katara's face and she rush forward to meet the others. Zuko happily follows her to the courtyard where they find the great flying buffalo and their friends.

They'd already received word earlier that day that General Iroh had liberated Ba Sing Se. His plan is to return to the Fire Nation capitol within the week.

Katara is so happy they're all back together again.

Appa lets out a long groan when he sees them.

Suki is the first to hop of and reaches up for Toph, whom Aang gently helps to the ground.

Tears immediately fill Katara's eyes and she nearly hits the floor, but Zuko catches her.

"Get the healers, immediately!" he tells one of the attendants, thinking Katara's reaction is for Toph and noticing how badly her leg seems. But a moment later, he realizes: Sokka is nowhere to be seen, and there is no one left on the bison.

Katara's sobs become louder and more frequent. Zuko tries to hold her more tightly. "What happened? Tell me!"

Aang hangs his head.

"You tell me what happened to my brother!" she screams, ripping herself away from Zuko and pushing towards them.

Suki steps to the front. "It was his choice."

Katara doesn't understand why she's saying this, why it matters.

"His choice!?" she looks at Suki like she's crazy. "What does that matter? What does that mean?"

Several servants bring a litter over to Toph and put her on top of it. As they begin to carry her out, she says the first things she's said in hours.

"It means he's dead," Toph tells them straight, "does anything else matter?"

Katara falls to the ground again as Toph is carried away. Parts of her hurt that she didn't even know she had, and she sobs openly.

Suki can't bear to watch her, one part of her is angry at her emotional display, another other part jealous. She says nothing more and slowly walks away.

Aang hangs his head, wanting to say something, desperately wishing somehow, he could fix it.

But it's Zuko who walks over to her. He places his hand on her shoulder. Katara violently tries to push him away. She pushes forcefully against him. And Zuko just takes it, returning his hand on her back, crouching down next to her, and folding her into a hug. She accepts it this time and clings to him, burying her face into his neck, her wails growing louder.

He shifts her into his lap and rocks her as she cries.

Aang watches uncomfortably for a few moments, shifting his feet, opening his mouth. But he knows there is nothing he can say, and he silently walks away.

* * *

News quickly spreads that the Avatar has defeated the Fire Lord and celebrations ring out across the land. Even in the Fire Nation, much to Zuko's surprise. He was right in assuming that certain noble families and some of the fire mages would be against it, but with his uncle's help, Zuko is able to keep his country from chaos.

"We cannot dispute the Avatar," he tells the nobles who come to the palace to argue, demand justice, some even calling for war. "No," Zuko tells them all, "his decision is final."

Iroh looks over at his nephew proudly. Zuko has had to make many other decisions in the following days that weigh on him.

He watched Katara head home to the Southern Water Tribe, needing to be with her family. Zuko told her he understood, that he wished he could go with her. But she just smiled at him faintly, her eyes hollow and distant when she said goodbye.

Toph also travels back to her parents once her leg is relatively healed. She tells them she thinks it's a good time to reconnect with family, after everything that's happened. The truth, though, is that hanging around her friends without Sokka just makes her too sad.

Zuko is a bit surprised that Suki and Aang remain in the Fire Nation Capitol with him.

"You're staying?" he asks Suki when she tells him.

She just shrugs. "Why not?" It's as good a place as any, she figures.

She never mentions Sokka to him at all, but she rejoins the Kiyoshi Warriors when they're all released from prison and seems to be happy, at least some of the time. They agree to stay at the capitol and offer protection.

Aang, on the other hand, wants to talk about everything too much. Zuko tries to help the kid, and then humor him, but it's eventually too much.

"You can ask yourself these questions forever," he finally tells Aang one day, "and there are never any good answers. If you'd been there to save Sokka, maybe something could have happened to Katara or me. Maybe my father would have killed us and burned though the other half of the world."

Aang frowns, not liking this answer, but he starts to understand why Suki told everyone it was his choice.

Aang tries to help Zuko and Iroh in the capitol of the Fire Nation, as they and their people try to figure out what to do next.

Aang sits through several meetings with prominent Fire Nation nobles, the Fire Mages, emissaries from the Earth Kingdom, generals of every kind.

"Why can't these people agree on anything!" Zuko huffs in frustration. "We need to start making decisions, or we'll never move forward."

"We need a leader to make these decisions," Iroh tells him.

"Yeah, well, they'll never be able to agree on who they want to lead either," Zuko says as he kicks the ground.

Iroh just looks at his nephew tenderly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Zuko…" He realizes the implications.

"They'll never accept me! After everything my father did! All the war, the destruction. The death!"

"You are not your father, Zuko, they know that."

"It should be you! You're Azulon's oldest son!"

"No, Zuko, you are the rightful heir. Your place is on the throne," Iroh tells him, taking Zuko's shoulders in both his hand and facing him directly. "You were meant for this."

"But I've made so many mistakes, gotten so many things wrong."

"You have a kind heart and unquestionable honor…"

Zuko laughs when his uncle says this, but Iroh looks at him seriously.

"…you're smart and brave, and most importantly, you know how to make things right."

Zuko has to look away from his uncle as he tells him this, his emotions getting the better of him.

* * *

Zuko still can't believe the Fire Nation has agreed to this, but his coronation is scheduled three months after his father's defeat.

Zuko invites important people from all over the world.

Top generals form the Earth Kingdom. Zuko's first act as Fire Lord will be signing a treaty to officially end the war with the Earth Kingdom.

He also invites leaders from the Northern Water Tribe. He'll seek to amend damage from his nation's attacks.

The members of the White Lotus are asked to attend, as well as many of the newly released prisoners of war. Zuko hopes these gestures build bridges he can work with in the future.

He also makes sure all the members of the most powerful Fire Nation Nobel families attend. Not so much as a sign of reconciliation, but to force them to acknowledge the legitimacy of his power.

Iroh is proud of his nephew for making this move. It is a good sign to his future political shrewdness.

But even more importantly, he invites his friends.

Aang returns from wandering. He still hadn't returned to his normal self since Sokka's death. And when he could no longer be of any help at the Fire Nation Capitol, he'd mentioned something about hog monkeys or hopping llamas and told Zuko he needed a break. Zuko understood and is happy to see him back. Aang looks happy too—mostly.

Toph returns too. She's able to walk, though uses a cane, and threatens to beat them both with it if they make any jokes.

Even Teo, Haru, The Duke, and so many others have decided to come.

It's the morning of the coronation, and Zuko paces. His nerves have kept him up almost all night.

"You'll be wonderful, Zuko," his uncle tells him as attendants put his royal dressing gowns on.

"I know, uncle," he grumbles, as someone starts messing with his hair.

"She'll be here," Iroh tells him with a little wink. And Zuko desperately hopes his uncle is right.

Zuko waits outside the royal balcony. He knows hundred of people are waiting for him outside, but he's only thinking about one.

Aang walks up to him, who's also being honored in the ceremony.

"So much has changed," Aang tells him, he's wearing the long, ceremonial robes of his people.

Zuko smiles softly at the young Avatar. "Yeah. I think it had to."

Aang just nods.

"It's for the best," Zuko tells him, still trying to help lessen the burden of his guilt.

"I know," Aang huffs glumly. "I just wish I could have…"

"Saving the world doesn't mean saving everyone." Zuko had been primed to be a leader since his earliest days. He knows you can never save everyone, and that it's working towards the greater good that counts. His also misses Sokka, but his heart aches now for the suffering of his young friend.

The Fire Mages ring the great gongs and Zuko knows it's time to step out onto the balcony. The words of their official ceremony flow through his ears. He's focused on the crowd, his eyes searching for Katara, wondering desperately if she's here, how she is.

Zuko feels the crown places on his head and hears the crowd roar. He says something he'd practiced a dozen times, and it seems to be going well. He calls out Aang and calls him a hero, tells everyone he saved the world. The crowd cheers some more.

Zuko and Aang walk forward together, a great symbol of unity, promising peace, reconciliation, and a just world for the future.

As Zuko says all this, his eyes keep scanning the crowd. He still sees no sign of Katara. He then looks over to his uncle, sitting on the side of the terrace, with other important families, and is shocked to see her standing next to him. Iroh has a twinkle in his eye.

She looks beautiful, dressed in some of the finest Fire Nation clothing, her hair flowing in long waves behind her, and her eyes bright and blue.

Zuko smiles when he sees her. And Katara smiles back.

* * *

Zuko invites all his friends into the Royal Palace. He's desperate to get back to them, but decorum requires he speak with so many people.

When he's finally able to get free, he goes to his friends. It's been a few hours, but they're all still there. Fine food is set on all the tables, and his uncle serenades them with the tsungi horn.

Zuko enters the room and they all greet him, and he sees Katara standing out on the balcony and staring out over the city.

Aang quietly approaches her.

"Hey, Katara," Aang says.

Katara is standing alone, leaning over the railing. Her eyes glisten in the late evening sunset.

"I just wanted you to know, that I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, Aang," she tells him, still looking out over the city.

"I just feel really bad…about what I did, everything that happened."

"It's not your fault," she tells him, looking at him sincerely and taking his shoulder in her hand. She doesn't want him to feel bad about anything.

She too has spent the last few months wrestling with her feelings, feelings of guilt and anger and blame. She learned from her mother it gets you nowhere. Even though she hasn't worked through all of hers yet, she doesn't want to put any of it on Aang.

He stares up at her with his big grey eyes. "Well, at least let me apologize for this. I'm sorry I put so much pressure on you, I'm sorry I expected so much from you…"

Katara is surprised to hear him say this.

"It's okay," she tells him.

"I just really liked you, Katara. And I really wanted to be with you. I didn't realize that, maybe, you wouldn't feel that way about me."

Katara looks at him affectionately. She appreciates hearing him say this.

"And you don't, do you?" Aang has already accepted the answer to this, but he needs to ask anyway.

"I'm sorry," Katara says, shaking her head softly, "I don't."

She smiles at him, it's both sincere and sad, before turning to look back out over the balcony.

"But you feel that way about Zuko, don't you?" Aang asks her.

Katara is even more surprised to hear him say this. She isn't aware of it, but her face lights up. "I don't know," she says, "maybe?"

"Well then, Katara," Aang says, taking a step back and inclining his head respectfully, "I think you owe it to yourself to find out."

Katara doesn't say anything as she watches Aang go back inside and sit amongst their other friends, all still listening to Uncle Iroh play. Her eyes find Zuko, who just joined them. He looks out to her, their eyes meet, and they both smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the end! I do plan on following this story up with my own version of Katara and Zuko actually going for a relationship. I'm thinking of calling it Water and Fire: A Zutara Ending (I know, I'm not great with titles), but this piece, this part of the story is really just what I wish the show had been. Honestly, you could take or leave everything else I wrote, the only part I really care about is rewriting that balcony scene so Aang gave Katara a choice to figure out what she wants. It would have been so amazing, in my mind, if the show had done this. That way, people who love Katara and Aang could go off and believe that things didn't work out with Zuko and she tried things with Aang. Zutara fans could believe they got together happily, and even other people could believe she did her own thing. It's not so much about the ending to me (I am actually pretty okay with Zuko and Mai ending back together in the show), but I think the show did Katara dirty by undercutting her agency in the romance and just having her suddenly pick Aang because she realizes he's a hero, not because they have any underlying chemistry. I really really hated that moment, and I just think it would be so great if a show had the guy tell a woman she can choose all the while supporting her while he thought she might like another man. I just think it would have ben awesome to see, and it would have fit so nicely in a show that did so much else so right about gender, equality, etc. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! And, as always, I'd love to know what you think 😊


	22. Epilogue Culminating in an Obligatory Balcony Scene (Version B)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Don't worry, it'll be different. 😊
> 
> Please note, this is version B. It does not include or reference any main character deaths. Thanks!
> 
> And for this version, I think we can pretty much just follow almost everything that happens in the show with the exception of Mai and Zuko's reunion and that final balcony scene. Enjoy!

Epilogue Culminating in an Obligatory Balcony Scene (Version B)

* * *

Zuko invites all his friends into the Royal Palace after his coronation. He's desperate to get back to them, but decorum requires he speak with his many important guests.

When he's finally able to get free, he goes to his friends. It's been a few hours, but they're all still there. Fine food is set on all the tables. His uncle serenades them with the tsungi horn while Sokka tries to get everyone to stand still so he can draw a picture of them.

Zuko enters the room and they all greet him.

"Oh, you're still in your fancy robes…" Sokka says with a bit of a frown.

"Yeah," Zuko says, not understanding. He hasn't had any time to change them. "Is that a problem?"

Sokka begins making adjustments to his drawing. "I can work with it…Come, stand over here," Sokka says pointing.

Zuko follows his instructions but is looking around for Katara. He sees her standing out on the balcony and staring out over the city.

Aang quietly approaches her.

"Hey, Katara," Aang says.

Katara is standing alone, leaning over the railing. Her eyes glisten in the late evening sunset.

"That was some speech, hunh…" Aang says, scratching his head a bit sheepishly.

Katara looks at him with a small smile. Zuko had given a good speech during his coronation, promising peace, reconciliation, justice. But most importantly, the thanked Aang, saying the world owed him a debt of gratitude for stopping Ozia and restoring balance and harmony.

Zuko had clasped Aang strongly on the shoulder as he said this. "And you did it your way, without compromising yourself." Zuko said just to him with a winked as the crowed roared.

"You should be really proud of yourself," she tells him in her motherly way.

Aang shifts uncomfortably. He knows he should be proud of himself, but something is still gnawing at him, deep down inside.

He stares up at her with his big grey eyes. "I am," he says with a small voice, but he gains courage, "but I think there is something I need to apologize for."

Katara looks at him curiously.

"Katara, I'm sorry. I put so much pressure on you, I expected so much from you…"

Katara is surprised to hear him say this.

"It's okay," she tells him. She could have been more direct and forthright too, but there was so much going on.

"I just really liked you, Katara. And I really wanted to be with you. I didn't realize that, maybe, you wouldn't feel that way about me."

Katara looks at him affectionately. She appreciates hearing him say this.

"And you don't, do you?" Aang thinks he knows the answer to this, but he needs to be sure.

"I'm sorry," Katara says, shaking her head softly, "I don't."

She smiles at him, it's both sincere and sad, before turning to look back out over the balcony.

"But you feel that way about Zuko, don't you?" Aang asks her.

Katara is even more surprised to hear him say this. She isn't aware of it, but her face lights up. "I don't know," she says, "maybe?"

"Well then, Katara," Aang says, taking a step back and inclining his head respectfully, "I think you owe it to yourself to find out."

Katara doesn't say anything as she watches Aang go back inside and sit amongst their other friends, all still listening to Uncle Iroh play. Her eyes find Zuko, who just joined them. He looks out to her, their eyes meet, and they both smile.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the end! I do plan on following this story up with my own version of Katara and Zuko actually going for a relationship. I'm thinking of calling it Water and Fire: A Zutara Ending (I know, I'm not great with titles), but this piece, this part of the story is really just what I wish the show had been. Honestly, you could take or leave everything else I wrote, the only part I really care about is rewriting that balcony scene so Aang gives Katara a choice to figure out what she wants. It would have been so amazing, in my mind, if the show had done this. That way, people who love Katara and Aang could go off and believe that things didn't work out with Zuko and she tried things with Aang. Zutara fans could believe they got together happily, and even other people could believe she did her own thing. It's not so much about the ending to me (I am actually pretty okay with Zuko and Mai ending back together in the show), but I think the show did Katara dirty by undercutting her agency in the romance and just having her suddenly be with Aang because she realizes he's a hero, not because they have any underlying chemistry. I really really hated that moment, and I just think it would be so great if a show had the guy tell a woman she can choose all the while supporting her because he thinks she might like another man. I just think it would have been awesome to see, and it would have fit so nicely in a show that did so much else so right about gender, equality, etc. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! And, as always, I'd love to know what you think 😊


End file.
